When NOT to DIY

Moving advises you when to call a professional for your home improvement projects:

The move went well and your new home is perfect - except for a few little projects you have in mind. Some of them you can do yourself, like painting the bathroom. Others are more challenging, like installing a new exterior door. Do you accept the challenge and start shopping for a door, or should you hire a professional for your home improvement? Before you get in over your head, ask yourself these questions.

Do I have the time?

Many home improvement projects take weeks rather than days, especially if you're doing it yourself in your spare time. If you're planning to change out kitchen cabinets or countertops, know that your kitchen could be out of commission for a while. Measure the inconvenience against the cost of hiring a professional installer.

Do I have the right tools?

Rather than look at it as an opportunity to add to your tool collection, consider what special tools you'll need for the home improvement project. For example, installing a tile backsplash or floor calls for a tile saw. If you have more than one tile project, the saw is a good investment. If not, you might be better off calling a professional and using your tool money for one that will get more use.

Do I have the experience?

It’s true. There are lots of books that tell you how to do things. However, some home improvement projects are easier than others. Painting the bathroom requires little more than a bucket of paint, a brush and some time for prep and cleanup. Installing a hardwood floor calls for more, including knowing how to use power saws, nailers and sanders. Before you invest a lot of time in trial and error, consider calling a professional.

Since you just moved into the neighborhood, you might not know who to call for a reliable professional installation. Ask your neighbors or check with the experts at your local home improvement center. Many times, the folks who sell you the products can also help you with a licensed, insured installer. They can probably help you with financing, too.

Here are some home improvement projects that could benefit from a professional installer:

Outside

• Exterior doors
• Garage doors
• Garage door openers
• Roofing
• Siding
• Storage buildings
• Stand-by generators
• Water heaters and windows

Inside

• Carpet
• Tile
• Hardwood and laminate flooring
• Vinyl flooring
• Kitchen cabinets
• Kitchen countertops
• Window treatments

Permitting Made Easy

Let us take the hassle out of permit applications.

From the smallest of jobs, such as trimming a tree, all the way up to the multi-million dollar high-rise project, we at Your Permit Solution handle all aspects of permit requirements from beginning to end.

Start your project by clicking our online application form HERE.

Wall Removal

Gee, it might be nice to open up that space between the kitchen and dining room. You would just have to remove that pesky wall...

Long before you pick up a sledgehammer, consult with a contractor. The wall may be load-bearing - meaning it holds up your roof - or it may have items inside that are more delicately removed - like electrical cables or plumbing pipes. Prevent a major disaster by checking with a contractor before doing any wall removal.

The same goes for removing part of the wall, as in to make a window, bar, or pass-through from one room to another.

If the wall is merely cosmetic, it may not require a permit, but that will rarely be the case.

Solar Panels

The benefits of a solar-powered home include:

• no electric bill
• being "off the grid"
• no power outages
• a self-sufficient home
• benefit to the environment
• tax breaks

With solar panels much more affordable than they were a few years ago, due to their increased popularity, why don't you have a solar-powered home yet?

Permits ARE necessary for installing solar panels and their necessary components.

Using a Contractor

From last week's blog, you learned that many things around your home require a permit. If you hare having a contractor do the work, we suggest you contact them prior to work beginning with a few permitting questions. A knowledgable contractor will have the answers for you, and will see you as an informed consumer for asking.

We and Florida Impact recommends you ask the following:

• Will all the work be done with a permit?
• How much does the contractor charge for permitting?
• Is that cost inclusive of the city/county permits or is there an additional charge?
• Verify that the name of the contractor you hired is the same as the contractor named on the permit. Generally, the paperwork needs to be left near the work being done and you can check there.
• When the installation is completed, will the contractor will schedule the final permit inspection with the city?

Do I Need a Permit?

The construction process can be confusing for people who do not use it everyday. Experts like Your Permit Solution helps you figure it out in simple everyday terms. You may not have even heard of a permit until your contractor included it in his fee.

The purpose of a permit is to ensure that work is done "up to code", which, to further complicate things, varies by county and state. This means that the work that is done on your property meets the most current and specific guidelines of its kind in your area. So what work requires permits?

In the Herald Times Online, Monroe County Building Department, Building Commissioner Jim Gerstbauer says:

Any construction activity that includes new space, or changes the use of existing space, requires a permit.

That means a permit is necessary for any new house construction, any additions that enlarge the square footage of a house, any modifications that require changing headers, beams or walls, and any remodeling which changes the use of that space within existing building (converting an unfinished basement to a family room, for instance). No permit is needed to replace drywall, cabinets, and other non-structural fixtures.

The guideline is “like into like.”

“If you’re replacing like with like, generally we don’t get involved,” Gerstbauer pointed out. Therefore, it’s usually fine to replace old roof shingles, or install new windows or new siding, without a permit.

But if you’re altering a room in such a way that occupants will use the space in a completely different manner than before, it requires a permit. For instance, converting an unfinished garage to finished living space would require a permit; as would adding an all-new bathroom where none existed previously. This is because the new elements are unlike the original elements.

Some changes are too small to merit permits.

“Changing electric receptacles, adding ceiling fans, or adding a plug, we have no problem with people doing that,” Gerstbauer continued. “We don’t want to get involved with every maintenance aspect of every house.”

If you're not sure, it is best to call us and find out. We know the most current laws for your area and can advise you. As contractors say, it is always better to "measure twice and cut once" to avoid fees or penalties for work done without a permit.