Forum
« Williamsburg Penthouse Condo for Sale Whole House Fan »
February 5, 2007
Basement finishing: need permit?
I am having a licensed contractor finish my basement: he will put in a new floor and new stairs, repair and paint the walls and a window, take out some wooden dividers and take out the ceiling. He will also build a stone wall around the furnace area. A plumber will replace the water heater and reroute two hot water pipes. An electrician will reroute the wiring exposed by the removal of the ceiling. The basement will continue to function as a storage space.
Do I need a DOB permit? Thanks!
Comments
Bottom line ,,,,YES
Posted by: eletricgreek at February 5, 2007 3:30 PM
Yes!!! I'm dealing with the repercussions right now of not filing ... $5000 violation. Also, are you sure it's a basement and not a cellar? A cellar's windows are %50 or more below the curb line and can't be legal bedrooms.
Posted by: phoffy at February 5, 2007 4:03 PM
Thanks Phoffy - you're right, this is a cellar in those terms.
Posted by: anon at February 5, 2007 4:27 PM
Even though you can't put a full bath down there . You can file a permit for a Rec, room . That would allow you to legally put a 1/2 bath .
If your having the work done now ( sounds like you are ) carful your neighbors don't see workers comming in and out of your basement . They might call the DOB on you . Then you will get a WORK WITHOUT A PERMIT violation .
Posted by: eletricgreek at February 5, 2007 5:24 PM
Thanks eletricgreek, Original Poster here. Out of curiosity - what exactly triggers the permit requirement? It is a storage area now, it remains storage, I'm just cleaning it up, repairing the current mess and making use of the space a bit more efficient? Not planning to build a half bathroom.
This is a legal two-family lime/brownstone.
I will waterproof the concrete floor though, the thing is a swamp when it rains.
Still in the planning stage, but work will start shortly.
Thanks again for the help.
Posted by: OP at February 5, 2007 5:32 PM
OH i thought you were going to FINISH the cellar . If what your discribing in the above post is the ONLY work your gonna do then no . you won't be needing a permit
Posted by: eletricgreek at February 5, 2007 5:38 PM
sho are you using to do the work? we need the exact same thing done to our basement. thanks.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 5, 2007 7:31 PM
ditto, i need exactly the same thing done and i need a fast contractor who bids his price out accurately...
Posted by: Anonymous at February 5, 2007 8:03 PM
ditto, i need exactly the same thing done and i need a fast contractor who bids his price out accurately...
Posted by: Anonymous at February 5, 2007 8:04 PM
I think the plumbing work may need a basic permit for minor change (a TRA?) that doen't require much effort or need inspction.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 5, 2007 8:06 PM
The DOB considers anything that is not "replacement in kind" as that which requires a permit, so to be safe, and to protect your investment and to protect yourself from "work without a permit" violations, you should file the work.
To clarify the above post, I believe the person writing is referring to an "ARA" which can be filed directly by the plumber and does not require an inspection, but a signoff will be required.
The electrician can file his work himself, too.
Posted by: mila goldman moore at February 5, 2007 10:32 PM
The DOB considers anything that is not "replacement in kind" as that which requires a permit, so to be safe, and to protect your investment and to protect yourself from "work without a permit" violations, you should file the work.
To clarify the above post, I believe the person writing is referring to an "ARA" which can be filed directly by the plumber and does not require an inspection, but a signoff will be required.
The electrician can file his work himself, too.
Hope this helps...
Mila Goldman Moore
MGM Architectural Consulting
mila@mgmarch.com
Posted by: mila goldman moore at February 5, 2007 10:33 PM
OP here. The contractor estimates his work at $30K for 2-3 weeks work - am working on getting estimates from the plumber and electrician.
Posted by: OP at February 5, 2007 10:34 PM
You need a permit if you are changing things. If you are just removing and replacing things in the same configuration, you probably do not need a permit.
Posted by: Alex at February 18, 2007 11:45 AM
Thanks for the information Electrigeek. I too am hoping to put a full bath in my celler. Does anyone know of the DOB link location that describes this as legal or illegal? Anyone know of a phone number where I could call to get more information? It's not going to be a rental, but rather a storage space / exercise room.
Posted by: Mike C at February 26, 2007 10:35 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.