The Benefits of a Building Permit
If you’re about to embark on a construction project of almost any nature you’ll likely need a building permit. Building permits are often an overlooked and forgotten aspect of many building projects. For any number of reasons building permits are often avoided because homeowners, building owners, and contractors alike view building permits and the associated building codes and inspections as a nuisance serving little purpose aside from increasing construction costs. Nothing could be further from the truth. In short building codes are in effect to first and foremost protect the occupants of any structure and secondly to ensure that sound construction practices are employed ensuring building safety and efficiency.
Building codes are written and developed through a rigorous process of research, development, peer review, judicial review and market input. For a building code to be created it must first be demonstrated that there is a clear and definite need for additional guidance on any aspect of a buildings construction or use. Once a code has been proposed a significant amount of research needs to be completed confirming that the new code would achieve the desired result without adversely affecting other aspects of a buildings use and construction. After that the code is reviewed by a panel of industry experts to determine that the additional cost incurred during construction are worth the benefit to the building owner and occupants. Like any other law the code must be reviewed by the judicial branch of government for legal compliance and implemented by the legislative branch of government. At this point it will be published but can still be challenged by anyone and brought under review and potentially revised or removed. This extensive process ensures that building codes are fair and equitable for all parties effected by them and prevents special interest groups such as building product manufacturers from having codes implemented solely for their benefit.
As of 2023 the state of Minnesota is currently under the 2020 Minnesota State Building Code which is based off the 2018 International Building Code. The state building code is several independent codes that make up the complete building code. Some of the major components are The Building Code, The Residential Code, The Energy Code, The Accessibility Code, The Plumbing Code, The Fuel Gas Code, The Electrical Code, The Fire Code, as well as several other codes and referenced standards to make up the complete Minnesota State Building Code. The State of Minnesota adopts a new building code every 6 years based off the International Building Codes written by the International Code Council. Minnesota uses the international Building Code as a starting point and then amends it as necessary to make it effective in Minnesota. For example because of our climate it’s necessary to add frost depth requirements for foundations because of our climate, while it’s also fitting to eliminate the seismic design requirements.
Given all the effort that goes into creating the building code, it only makes sense to take full advantage of it and make sure that your structure not only meets but exceeds the minimum standards contained within the Building Code. The most effective way to make sure your building meets or exceeds the building code standards is through a building permit and inspections through your local municipality. To obtain a building permit the first step is to turn in a permit application complete with all supporting documentation. Supporting documentation can be an number of things but in short it is all the documents needed to demonstrate your project is in compliance with the building code. These documents can include a full set of plans, spec book if you have one, energy calculations, engineer service reports, and specific product information. Once all of this information is submitted to your local Municipal Building Department, they will begin the review process. The Building Inspector will review your documents for compliance with both the Minnesota State Building code as well as any local ordinances that may apply. They‘ll be checking things such as property line setbacks, footing size, wall construction, insulation values, emergency exit paths, fire suppression system design, and accessibility requirements. This is a very important step because it gives the building inspector an opportunity to check the work of your design team and get any building code issues resolved prior to starting construction. Once construction is started it becomes significantly more difficult and expensive to correct these issues.
Once the plans are approved you will be able to pick up your building permit and start construction. During the course of construction the building inspector will come out to your property to review the work that has been completed to confirm compliance with both the Building Code, and the documents that were submitted during the plan review phase. Once complete, the building inspector will issue a Certificate of Occupancy. The certificate of occupancy states that as far as the building official is concerned the construction project is complete, and the structure meets applicable codes and standards. The certificate of occupancy is also significant if you have a mortgage on the property, several lenders require a copy of the certificate of occupancy as one of many documents needed to close out your construction loan and transition to your 15- or 30-year mortgage.
As you can see there is a lot of time and effort contributed to your construction project by the local Building Department. The Building Department charges a permit fee to cover the cost of providing the service of making sure your structure meets minimum standards of structural integrity, occupant safety, and occupant comfort. Municipalities are restricted from using permit fees to fund other city operations. Per Minnesota State Statute Building permit fees can only be used to cover the costs directly related to and derived from the cost of enforcing the Minnesota State Building Code in that Municipality. The cost of your building permit should not be viewed as an unnecessary expense, but rather as a fee for service similarly to any of the other trades people that you hire.
One thing that I like to point in regard to the building code is that it is and absolute MINIMUM standard, so just meeting the building code is essentially the worst building you can legally build in the state of Minnesota, and everyone should be concerned with contractors that advertise that they build to the standard of the building code. Among other contractor search criteria which you can read about here: “Selecting a Qualified Commercial Contractor” as part of your search for a qualified contractor I would recommend asking them what their track record is with the local building department and how often they either pass or fail their building progress inspections. Reputable contractors will have a very close relationship with the local Building Department, and will be well versed in the requirements of the building code. The state of Minnesota makes the entire building code available online for free for anyone to view here: Minnesota State Building Code and as always you can reach out to Harren Companies with any questions you have related to buildings and construction.
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