If you’re building a deck, putting in a pool or constructing a backyard shed, the City of Guelph is reminding homeowners to apply for permits before starting the work.
On Saturday, a residential building inspector and a planning examiner will be on hand at JL’s Home Hardware Building Centre on Wellington St. W. from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to answer questions homeowners may have about the city’s permitting process.
“Any time you do work without a permit, there’s risks,” said Adrian van Eck, the city’s program manager for inspection services. The permitting program is in place to ensure projects are built in accordance to Ontario’s Building Code and safety standards.
The city has been holding this information session annually for years and tends to see between 30 and 60 homeowners stop by over the four-hour period.
Even for homeowners working on a shoestring budget, van Eck encourages them to make room for the cost of a permit. By working with the city and ensuring the project is built to code, it will ensure a minimum standard of safety and save homeowners money in the long run when it comes time to sell.
The cost of a permit might also be less expensive than one may think.
For building a deck, hot tub foundation, porch or exterior steps, the cost is $105 for the permit in Guelph. It costs $210 for a swimming pool permit.
In some cases there may be added costs for proper architectural drawings, unless homeowners are able to create these themselves.
Van Eck said the cost of permits for small residential projects are as low as they can be in Guelph.
“It costs us more to do the work on those than we actually get in return,” he said, but added it was important homeowners go through the process and build to code.
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