Do I need a permit?

Clients that lease space from me often ask whether or not they need a permit. I'm not a permit expert, but my understanding in general is that for most cosmetic work (which could include paint, carpet, non-structural partition walls, etc.) that you don't always need a permit, and for anything that has to do with electric, plumbing, mechanical (HVAC/ Air conditioning) that you do need a permit.

However, even if you think you don't need a permit, here are a few things to consider:

1. Getting a permit on a small job is not actually that big of a deal. You will probably pay less than $100 at the Development Services Office at 1901 S. Alamo. It is a bigger deal for a bigger job, but if you are doing a major finish out job you really need to get a permit anyway.

2. The job may be bigger than you think. You may think that you are just putting up a partition wall to enclose an office, but as you get into it you realize that to make the office functional you need electric outlets in the wall, an air conditioning vent in this enclosed space, new lighting, etc. What started off as a simple thing just got more complicated.

3. Permits and Plans can actually be useful. Your cousin's friend that does construction on the side may cost you time and money. I've seen a business that spent a lot of money on labor and materials finishing out a space, only to find out that the workers they used were used to residential construction, and didn't do what they needed to do for this commercial space. They were using wooden studs and running electric without putting it in conduit. Bottom line, when they went to get their Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) they had to rip it all out and start over.

Or the plumber that put a fitting on backwards, which would have eventually failed and leaked. The inspector caught it and caused a two day delay while the plumber fixed it, but imagine what the cost would have been if he filled in the slab and covered it up, and three months later you have to shut down your business because there is water seeping up from the floor, sewage backed up, and you have to rip up the entire floor trying to figure out where the leak is.

Unfortunately there are plenty of construction people that take short cuts or just aren't expert enough to do it right, and if you aren't careful you will end up re-doing it later.

If you are considering going into a space, one thing you might find out is what the last business was in that space. If your business is considered a "change of use" then there are other requirements that you may face.

This doesn't really apply if you are an office user in an office building, but is very important if you are going from general retail (an art gallery for example) to a restaurant or bar use that has more stringent requirements.

Finding out all of the requirements in advance will save you time and money.