Permitting with the City of Austin can seem like a daunting task – but in reality with Skelly Build you won’t have to manage much. The renovation scope dictates the permit or permits that are required for your project. A few FAQ’s are below.
Why get a permit? Simply, the City of Austin requests that permits are pulled for any plumbing, electrical, HVAC relocation, structural or concrete work, or removing over 64 square feet of drywall. There are many additional minimum caveats but those are the simple terms that apply to most renovations. All work completed by Skelly Build is by licensed professionals where required.
With a permit, inspectors visit your home at different stages of the job to verify building codes, city codes, and applicable ordinances are being completely correctly. These different stages include, but are not limited to, wallboard, insulation, framing, concrete, foundation, building layout, energy final, final building, and tree inspections. Plumbers, electricians and HVAC contractors are required to pull sub permits under the main permit. An engineer is also involved in any framing or foundation modifications- big or small. These requirements ensure these trades are licensed and trained professionals who are up to date with the latest codes and licensing.
How long does it take for a permit to be approved once submitted? The review process can take the city anywhere from two weeks to a month and a half. Until your permit is approved work cannot begin. During this waiting period we are typically ordering materials, prepping for a start date and scheduling. There are plenty of other things to keep us busy with to ensure the project runs smoothly.
How much more time does permitting add to a project? 1-2 Months. When we reach an inspection point, we are at a stopping point with work. Until the inspector passes us or provides us with requested revisions other work cannot typically take place.
There are a few documents which are required for all permits (except Express permits). This includes:
-
The completed application(s)
-
Plot plan/Site plan (this is the drawing of your property that includes tree locations)
-
Floor plans
-
Some permit applications also require structural drawings depending on the scope of work
Types of Permits:
This permit is for very simple fixes or repairs. It includes changing windows size for size, repairing roofing, less than 64 sq ft. repairs of siding, drywall, floor decking, or foundation, and tub to shower conversions that do not require any drywall work, wall relocation, or moving plumbing fixtures.
This permit is for interior renovation work. With this permit we complete kitchen, bathroom, laundry and full house renovations.
We are required to apply for this permit if we are demolishing or updating anything on the exterior of your home. Some examples are: enlarging a window, enlarging a door space, an addition, etc.
This permit also requires some additional documentation, including:
-
A notarized owners authorization – this gives the applicant (Skelly Build) permission to apply on your behalf
-
Certified tax certificate(s) from the Travis County Tax Assessor’s Office
-
Photos of each side of structure
Garage Conversion and Carport/Porch Enclosure Permit: This permit is to convert garages, carports, or porches into interior square footage. This permit requires calculations to determine the FAR of your property. This is the floor-to-area-ratio, which is the square footage the dwellings on your property take up compared to the area of your property. Depending on where your house is located, your house can only take up a certain amount of square footage compared to the size of your lot.
This permit also requires some additional documentation, including:
- Austin Water Utility W&WW Service Plan Verification, if water demand is to increase or a dwelling is added. EX: adding a bathroom or laundry room
-
- Austin Energy Building Service Plan Application, if the energy demand is going to increase
-
Completed Demolition application, if any portion of an exterior wall is to be removed or modified.
New Construction and Addition Permit:
This permit is required for an addition or subtraction of square footage. For example, if you are wanting to get rid of your bay windows, you would have to apply for this permit because you are changing the square footage of your home. As with the garage conversion and carport/porch enclosure permit, this application also requires calculations to determine the FAR of your property.
This permit also requires the same additional documentation as the Garage Conversion and Carport/Porch Enclosure permit.
Tree Permit: On each permit application you are required to state if there are any trees 19 inches (can your arms wrap around the tree) or greater in diameter on your property or along neighboring properties. If there are, these trees have to be drawn on the plot/site plan. When only applying for an interior remodel permit, typically nothing happens with the trees and no inspections are required. If you are applying for a demo, conversion, or new construction/addition then the city will most likely require you to protect the tree and inspect the tree(s) throughout the process of the renovation.
Skelly Build is here to help you from the beginning/permitting process to the completion of your renovation!
