Rehab permits for finished basements and added baths

[Marshall Secord]

Hi BP, I've got a house in West Philadelphia that I plan on adding a bathroom and finishing the basement for. The basement already has huge ceilings and won't need to be excavated or underpinned. What I'm curious about is the permitting necessary for these kinds of jobs. I've had some contractors tell me that I need to bring in an architect to draw up plans and an engineer to make sure its viable then get a couple permits, etc. Then I've had contractors tell me that they can just go do it no questions asked. I'm basically just concerned from a resale standpoint. I want it done right, but I'm mainly just concerned that when I go to sell the house and it gets looked at by an appraiser, There will be no official documentation and permitting to prove that the house now officially has another bathroom and a finished basement and it won't appraise correctly unless I tear everything out and redo it all with the right permits. Can anybody shed some light on this? Thanks!

[Bruce Woodruff]

Always get permits if they are required in your locality. I mean, why wouldn't you???

It's true that appraisers don't care about permits, but many buyers and realtors nowadays will call the city and ask about permit status. When there is an obviously new kitchen, bath, etc, and there is no permit, you will get the price per SF value reduced, usually by 50% (in my experience).

You need to call and ask the City if you need permits or not, then avoid like the plague any Contr. who says you don't...!