Before you begin your renovation work you should place a call to your
local building department. Regulations vary from place to place on what
you need permits for and such. It's best to start off on the right foot
with your local inspectors- instead of getting a nasty surprise later.
Pulling permits is not always inexpensive or fun but helps to protect
you and others by insuring that the work meets a certain standard-
usually based on the Uniform Building Code but often with local
variances. I would especially recommend talking to the building
department and possibly a contractor or two before you rip out any
walls. Unless you can identify which walls are load-bearing or not you
might sacrifice the structural integrity of your house by taking out
the wrong framing pieces. Another reason for permits is that insurance
companies often will not cover damage caused by work that was done
illegally- say you do some wiring that starts a fire and burns down
your house- no compensation. Where I live permits are good for six
months from when they are issued. We are in the middle of a renovation
right now- the permits where pulled in Feb. or March and there's no way
we will be ready for a final inspection before the six months is up so
we will have to get them renewed- most likely for an additional fee,
but that's the way the game is played. Ask lots of questions of the
inspectors and get to know the building code if you plan on doing lots
of renovation work. Often you open a whole can of worms unknowingly by
what seemed like a little project. Sometimes you will be required to
bring things up to current code depending on the scope of your project.
Here in California that means things like shear walls and hold downs
for earthquakes. If you live in an older house this can mean a lot of
additional time and expense but in the end you will most likely be
living in a safer, more comfortable house. Good luck with your house
and have fun.

Dale


J wrote:
I'm on the verge of the purchase of a first home and I'm considering a
number of renovations. Can someone tell me if there are any
regulations regarding the interior state of a "work in progress"?
Like, can I just rip interior walls and ceilings out, and are there any
issues with leaving things that way for a length of time? I do not
intend to affect the structural integrity of the building.

I am in Massachusetts but would appreciate info from anywhere.


John