The interior of our home can be completely transformed when we paint the walls, upgrade the electrical installation, install new doors or windows. These are just a few of the interventions we can make. Making changes and renovations in fact is not a bad thing; you must have a budget and make precise plans, and a building permit.
However, before buying the paint, hiring the electrician or spending on tools and so on, the first thing to do is to account to the administration. For taking on these and other projects, it is usually necessary to obtain building permits, which are the permits required by the institutions. There are two types of licenses, depending on the size of the intervention. For this type of work, you will need a minor works permit; for bigger changes, you will need a major works permit.
What is a minor building permit and what is it required for?
A minor works permit is the authorization issued by the administration to be able to carry out small-scale interventions. These actions often have two characteristics in common: technical simplicity and low prices, which means they are small reforms that everyone has carried out at some point.
These are just a few examples where it would be necessary to apply for a minor building permit:
- Put some moldings on the ceiling
- Installing new doors or windows
- Renovate the plumbing and electrical installation
- Adapting a house for people with reduced mobility (this requires minor changes)
These types of reforms do not modify the structure of the property, although the permits do not set limits as far as the scope of action is concerned.
In this regard, work can be carried out inside the house as well as on the façade or roof, provided that no structural changes are made. The simple and low-cost nature of the intervention is another essential condition. Major renovations would imply the need to apply for a major building permit.
Let’s talk about some of the types of renovations you can do.
Most common types of reforms and what type of building permit is required
As for the type of reforms that we can make in a house, below, we have selected the most common ones:
The reforms of finishes
These are reforms such as painting, changing floors, even changing tiles or countertops. This type of renovation only affects the finishes of the house. In order to carry them out, a building permit notice is sufficient. In these cases we are talking about informative permits rather than building permits.
Changes in the distribution
If you want to create more rooms at home or change where the bathroom or the kitchen are located a major building permit will be required, mostly, because you are changing the distribution of the spaces of the house.
To guide you and give you all the information call us, since these changes must be processed and it is best to have the experts in building permits to help you.
Reforms that affect structural elements
The structural elements of a house are the pillars, the beams, the main walls, the floors, the ceilings, or the roof. These reforms, besides requiring an architect to check and approve the project, also need a Major Building Permit.
You should know that any modification to a structural element can endanger the building itself. The modification of such structural elements is subject to the approval of the community of owners. This is so, because any change can affect the safety of all the neighbors of the building.
The reforms involving community elements
If you want to make a reform that might involve a community element, you will need a major work permit. This happens when we need to open a window or to modify its size. It can also be when you want to reform a terrace, a balcony, a patio or part of a vestibule.
All these reforms, which in principle may seem simple, require not only the approval of the Community, but also the corresponding license.
Where to ask for a minor building permit
To ask for a minor works license, the next step is to be clear about where or to whom to apply for it. If you have any doubts, remember that we are experts in building permits and we can help you obtain yours. Generally, these authorizations are managed at the city council of the city, since these reforms would be included within the competencies of the area of urbanism. It is the city council that will determine in which cases it is necessary to request a minor works permit, in which cases a major works permit is required, and even if the project simply requires prior notification.
If you need information about these permits, just come to us. We can help you through all the process.
