Disclaimer

Building Permit Requirements is an independent reference. It is not a government site and is not affiliated with any city, county, state or federal agency, or with the International Code Council or NFPA.

• The information is general and explains official rules; it is not legal, engineering or professional advice.
• Permit rules, fees and code editions change, and building officials can interpret their own codes. Always confirm with your local building department before you build.
• Model-code wording is shown as published in government copies; it is the law only where adopted, often with amendments.
• Links to official sites are provided for convenience; we do not control their content.

Model code text

The International Residential Code and other model codes are copyrighted by their publishers. We quote short passages from government-hosted copies of adopted codes for reference, name the edition each copy states, and link the official source. For the full text, use your state’s or city’s adopted code.

Accuracy

Every fact is quoted from an official source and checked by two readers, and each page shows when its sources were last checked. Even so, a source can change after we check it, and an official page can be wrong or out of date. If our page and the department disagree, the department’s current rule applies; please tell us so we can correct it.

What this site does not cover

A building permit is often only one of the approvals a project needs. We do not cover, or cover only where an official source says so:

• Homeowners association rules, deed restrictions and covenants, which can forbid work a city allows.
• Historic district and landmark reviews in detail; we note where a city says one applies.
• Utility rules (gas, electric and water connections) unless a city or utility publishes them as permit requirements.
• Insurance, mortgage and appraisal requirements, and what a buyer or lender may ask for when a house is sold.
• Engineering: whether a design is safe or meets the code is for a licensed professional and the building official.
• Places we have not published: if your city or state has no page here, we have not verified its rules.

Fees and tools

Fees are shown as each schedule words them, with the schedule’s date; the department calculates the actual fee when you apply, and surcharges or plan-review fees can apply. The fee calculator uses only published valuation lines and shows its arithmetic; the permit checker and the other tools repeat what the city and state pages say. None of them is an official determination.

Laws not yet in effect and pending bills

A law enacted but not yet in effect is shown only under a heading that says so, with its effective date. Bills that have not passed and proposed rules are not shown as rules. If a law changes after our check date, the page is out of date until we re-check it.

No endorsements

We do not recommend contractors, permit services, products or lenders, and we accept no payment to include or rank anything.

See also our terms of use and methodology.