Great Western Steel Buildings’ Guide to Metal Building Permits

Building Permits. The words alone can make home and business owners shudder with fear and shake in anger! The permitting process understandably makes many folks nervous: sometimes they don’t realize it’s a simple process, they worry permitting will be expensive, or they don't want the government meddling with the decisions they make about their own property.

At the end of the day, building codes are enforced for safety and the overall aesthetic satisfaction of the community. Building codes and the corresponding permit requirements are in place to ensure that plumbers, electricians and other tradespeople have clearly defined standards their work must meet, and zoning/building enforcement helps protect property values. Understanding the process for obtaining building permits and the benefits of enforced building codes makes the process of pulling permits much more approachable.

You may hesitate because of the cost of the metal building permit. Permit fees are usually determined by calculating the type of construction, steel buildings in this case, who is performing the work (owner or contractor,) and the material costs or estimated value of the completed construction. For the banditos and renegades out there - If you are thinking about just building and asking for forgiveness libertarians may commend you. However, the realists caution you. Usually the fines for building without a permit are double the original cost of the permit and you may be required to demolish or un-build part of your structure for inspections.

Improvements to your property will only add value if they are acknowledged by the assessor. For example, if you finish your basement at home the county assessor’s office may not reflect your added bedroom, bathroom and the all important wetbar in your property’s value if building permits were not issued. This is great for property tax assessments but not great when you’re trying to sell your property with a beautiful shop/storage building with a mother in-law apartment. If you don’t permit first, you may suffer fines and in the worst case you may never see a return on your investment.

Pre-Engineered Steel and other types of metal buildings are extremely versatile and useful for nearly any building application. A residential outbuilding, something many refer to as a “backyard work shop” or a “toy barn”, can usually be permitted and constructed by the homeowner. This applies to equestrian structures like stables and indoor/covered arenas as well. Applying for these types of permits can be quite affordable and easily accomplished. Typical steps for permitting residential and agricultural steel buildings are outlined in the text and links within this article. The focus here is on residential and agricultural buildings rather than the permitting processes and requirements for larger and more complex commercial or industrial projects. Qualified general contractors or construction firms should be enlisted to help with larger scale metal building projects.