One persistent myth that we Americans like to cling to is that we can do as we choose with what we own. After all, we don't own Ajax real estate in socialist Canada, where everything is either regulated or taxed, or both. No, we live in the land of the free. If you want to go out and shoot pronghorn antelope on your piece of Aurora CO real estate, you are free to do so, right? Isn't that a part of the national anthem?
Sadly, here in America we are not quite as free as we might think, or as we might hope. The truth is that there is a lot of red tape here, in fact probably just as much as there is in other countries, we just don't tend to realize it until we err on the wrong side. That can be really galling when we are talking our own property; shouldn't you have the right to renovate your house for sale in Markham or Aurora any way you want?
Maybe, but that is not how the municipal government sees it. These days, big brother is a lot more interested in a lot more of the activities we undertake as a society. And like it or not, that means work on your own home. If you are planning on hiring an American or Canadian architect to do the work for you, or on doing it yourself, it is likely you will need some permits in order to get the work done.
Don't get too anxious, because for the most part permits don't apply to fixes on the inside of your house. The Exception is when you do major overhauls to your foundation, plumbing, and electrical work. Because these involved safety concerns, you will have to apply for a permit when you do the work and an inspection after. This is no different than if you were fixing these same issues in Roncesvalles Toronto.
Work on the exterior of your home is an entirely different story. Outside, almost everything requires a permit. Underground sprinklers may cause erosion issues in some areas of Aurora, just as they do on some pieces of Mississauga real estate, so you need permission to install them. Fences, roof work, and decks similarly all require a permit in order to create or fix up.
The main reason for a permit is safety, although there are definitely tax reasons as well. If you purchase a permit to put in an improvement, make sure you register it after with the city, or you may receive some surprise increases in your property taxes, charged with interest.
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