Kitchener to issue express building permits
Posted May 7, 2013 07:37:47 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
In the City of Kitchener, many do-it-yourself home renovation projects require a permit including any detached structures larger than 10′ by 10′, anything attached to your house, and for decks higher than 24 inches off the ground.
For the months of May, June, July and August, the city’s building department will be issuing express permits on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Director of Building with the City of Kitchener, Mike Seiling tells 570’s Jeff Allan Show if you’re not sure whether a permit is needed, just ask.
“Check our website or better yet, just give us a call. We’re here on the 5th floor of City Hall.”
Seiling adds ideally, you should try and plan two weeks ahead for your project, but if you don’t want to wait or you don’t have the time, that’s where the express permits come in.
“For the months of May, June, July and August, home owners can come in with their construction drawings. Building staff will sit down with them, they’ll review for building code compliance including zoning… and we’ll be able to ask the homeowner any questions. Sometimes these drawings aren’t perfect, but we’ve got the homeowner right there, the ones who are going to do the job… We get to ask them questions. They pay the fee, and then we will issue the building permit right on the spot. They are in and out in 30 minutes.”
The summer is the busiest time for the building department with both construction projects and home renovations, and Seiling says the express permits help to speed things up.
“For homeowner projects, we get them out of the way from typical general contractors, who know the process, they’re more familiar, because sometimes the do-it-yourself projects, they take a little more time for us. But the fact that we have the home owner right there, we can ask them the questions and we can explain … [things to them] before the lumber is delivered to their house.”
Seiling adds City Hall is not trying to create problems for people, but instead trying to help them plan for safety and longevity.
“Ultimately the building official, the City of Kitchener or any other local municipality, we want a building permit issued, make sure it’s inspected during the construction because we want it to last a long period of time. We don’t want someone falling through the floor. We don’t want someone falling off the deck.”
The cost of the express permits are based on the type of project you are doing, but Seiling saying most are around $108 dollars for both the permit and the inspection.
