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Rolling Hills Estates, CA

#1 REPUTABLE LEAK DETECTION

SPECIALISTS

&

COMPREHENSIVE CONSTRUCTION REPAIRS SINCE 1977
 

LOCAL

ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, CA

SOUTH BAY AREA

EMERGENCY WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION SPECIALIST SINCE 1977 SWIFT, COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE, & RELIABLE

WATER LEAK RESTORATION AND MOLD REMEDIATION SERVICES

5 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

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Swift Water Damage Restoration is the emergency foremost leading water damage restoration, repairs, and leak detection company in Southern California. We offer full comprehensive water damage repairs 24/7 emergency response services, we also initiate Emergency Hygienist Testing Report, and can help your family resume normal life as quickly as possible. We pull City Permits to protect the value of your property. We will do everything in our experience to help minimize the  water damage caused by water or fire, helping your property return to its original condition. We have many years of experience and are fully licensed, bonded, insured, and certified to handle all your emergency water damage restoration, mold abatement, leak detection, construction, plumbing needs. Call us if you need water damage restoration, construction, plumbing, mold removal, leak detection, or any other emergency services.

EMERGENCY WATER RESTORATION

Correct water damage restoration is the key to repairing the damage and getting things back to normal as quickly as possible. Pulling City Permits will protect your property. Fast intervention within the first 24 hours after an event will lessen the damage and prevent further damage to your affected areas, and personal property or commercial. In fact, restoring your property or commercial is to protect the value of your property. 

EMERGENCY MOLD REMEDIATION

Mold can begin to grow where the moisture is being built up. Mold can also cause you health issues. Mold is a common issue whenever you have excess moisture due to water leaks or humidity. When surfaces stay wet for long periods, mold spores can start to grow. It can be toxic in large quantities and poses a health hazard to your health. Mold can affect your nervous system. It can affect the breathing of people with physical illness, asthma, respiratory problems or immune disorders.

EMERGENCY FIRE & SMOKE RESTORATION

Most trusted Fire damage restoration services are needed for smoke and odor removal, as well as cleaning soot from your walls and surfaces. Fire damage clean up will help with your health not being so overly affected by the smoke. Restoring your property to precondition is to safeguard your value of your property, the acidic soot and smoke can damage building components and personal assets if repairs are not made right away.

We invite you to take the journey with us to shape the future because it is about the joy of restoring your home and brining back your home back to pre-loss condition after a water disaster & new perspectives, water damage becomes invitations, imagination becomes possibility. Welcome to a new destination to bring tranquility & peace back to your home after an emergency water damage disaster - let us restore you home....the perfect balance between form and function. We are the most trusted emergency water damage restoration services in the Southern California, South Bay Area Ca- Your peace of mind is our top priority during an emergency water damage disaster. It is our objective to serve you to make sure your home is returned back to normal where you can enjoy your daily activities the way it was prior to the water damage disaster.

 

AM I RESPONSIBLE IF THE CONTRACTOR DOESN’T PULL PERMITS FOR MY PROJECT? Plan to pay for unpulled permitsPermits are usually included in a contractors bid.

• If there are no permits pulled, the homeowner is responsible.

• Proper permits are necessary when selling or insuring your home.

If your contractor just wrapped up a renovation project at your house and you find out that it was done without a permit, you are responsible for footing the bill. The good news is that you can file for a permit after the work is complete. Here’s a breakdown of what to do and how to remediate the situation.

What to Do if My Contractor Didn’t Get a Building Permit

Most reputable contractors include the price of permits in their bids. However, not all contractors pull permits. If your contractor didn’t get a building permit before starting construction on your home, you’re responsible for securing a permit after the fact.

For any permit pulled after the work is done, you’ll face a fine that doubles what would have been your initial cost, had the contractor pulled it before construction started. You should contact your local building and planning commission as soon as possible and explain your situation.

What to Do if the Project Is Complete

The building and planning commission will schedule an inspection to see what work your contractor completed. The inspector will only approve modifications that they can visibly see. If the project is more complex, then a visual inspection may not be sufficient. In some cases, you may even need to undo parts of the construction if it does not meet building safety standards.

The inspector must also ensure that your home meets local building codes. The inspector may ask you to provide information about the company that did the work, so they can check in and certify with the contractor what work was done. If your contractor is unresponsive, you might need to call in a reputable structural engineer near you who can evaluate the project and share any findings with the commission.

What to Do if the Project Is Ongoing

If there’s still ongoing work for your addition, you should pull those permits before the contractor completes any more work. You can have the permits checked off by the inspector for compliance as the contractor completes the project.

Do I Need permits?

What Happens if I Don’t Get the Proper Permits

Unpermitted work can potentially result in a few unfavorable scenarios that may affect the ability to sell or insure your home in the future.

Selling Your Home

If you don’t pull the proper permits, your house likely won’t pass inspection if you try to sell it. Even if you don’t intend to sell your home in the near future, it’s important to understand the consequences of unpermitted work. If you sell your home without the proper permits, the new owner could sue you for misrepresenting the property.

Insurance Complications

If you have to modify your homeowners insurance policy or change insurance companies, your insurance company could ask you for a Certificate of Occupancy. If the certificate doesn’t show structural changes that have been made, the insurance company can decline to cover the home because it is not code-compliant.

Safety Risks

There are also safety considerations to keep in mind when it comes to having work done without a permit. If your contractor did any electrical work or added any gas connections, those could represent potential fire hazards. This is why it’s important to work with a reputable contractor near you who can be relied upon to get the right permits ahead of time and ensure that the construction project is completed with every safety measure accounted for.

WHAT PERMITS DO HOMEOWNERS NEED FOR HOME ADDITIONS?

If you’re building a home addition, you’ll need the proper permits before you begin

If your house is feeling a bit too close for comfort, you might consider building a new addition onto the old homestead. But expanding the family digs is about more than lumber, nails, and sweat equity. You’re also going to need the proper permits. 

The type of permitting you’ll need, though, will depend on several factors, including your location and the kind of project you have in mind. And that means that the costs to secure the necessary building permits will vary widely

Why Building Permits Matter

We ensure that all safety procedures are carried out as required by the permits. Furthermore, construction permits ensure compliance with building codes and regulations. These codes are established to safeguard the structural integrity, fire safety, and accessibility of buildings.

A building permit is the official written authorization from the relevant City authority that a construction project may begin. For example, the City of Los Angeles requires a permit for any private property construction and/or alteration and in many cases even for repair work.

The size and complexity of the proposed work dictates how much information a given City will require before a requested permit will be issued. Small, straightforward projects typically require very little details while large, complex projects require fully developed plans to be reviewed and ultimately approved by the relevant authority.

Similarly, the cost for a permit is tied to the overall size of the project as it is based upon a small percentage of the total cost of the project. While some homeowners and/or contractors feel “pulling a permit” causes unnecessary delays to their project as well as increased costs, it is in their best interest to do so.

For instance, obtaining a building permit allows the City to confirm the proposed work to be performed is in conformance with all applicable building codes and standards. As part of that process, City inspectors will periodically visit the project site to ensure that the work is in fact being performed correctly.

For obvious reasons it is much better to discover and correct any construction related errors while work is ongoing rather than after it has been completed and/or covered up.

Additionally, should a homeowner desire to sell his or her home in the future, making sure all work was performed pursuant to a permit ensures the homeowner can maximize the value of their home. Conversely, if it is disclosed to potential buyers that there exists unpermitted work on the property that typically causes the potential buyers to provide significantly lower purchase offers. This is due to the fact that City officials can and often do require the purchaser to bring the un-permitted work commissioned by the previous homeowner “up to code”.

When the prior homeowner does not disclose that there was unpermitted work performed on the property and the new homeowner later discovers it such a scenario often results in expensive litigation that requires the previous homeowner to reimburse the new homeowner for all costs and fees associated with correcting the unpermitted work.

The relatively small amount saved on permit fees is typically eclipsed by the liability imposed on the prior homeowner for not having the work performed the right way the first time around.

It might seem like a lot of legwork to make sure you have the proper permits in place before, during, and after construction. But taking care of the permits right away can save a lot of hassle down the road. Unapproved constructions, or work completed by contractors who don’t have the proper permits, can actually decrease the value of your home.

Not only that, but because your property taxes are generally based on the value of the improvements made to the land, failure to get the appropriate permits can leave you on the hook for unpaid property taxes later on.

So, as you can see, permits can have a big impact on your finances if you ignore them. 

For example, if you don’t have an electrical permit on file for any electrical modifications in your home, you couldn’t collect insurance if the cause of a fire is determined to be non-permitted work. Permits help when it’s time to sell a home, since potential homebuyers will want to be sure the appropriate permits exist for any modifications or additions to the home.

Most importantly, building codes and permits are put in place for your health and safety. They set forth minimum requirements for the types and sizes of materials to be used to meet safety standards. 

These are all really important reasons why the permitting process works in your favor. If you’re hiring a contractor to build your addition, then ensuring that your builder is working with the necessary permits is a pretty great clue that they’re a legit company doing quality work. Win-win!

If you’re making significant changes to your home, you need to have permits, as well as all the proper building inspections during the process and at the project’s completion. In addition to the traditional building permit, which gives you and/or the contractor the permission to build or add onto the home, each specialty trade, such as HVAC, electrical, or plumbing, has its own permit. Before building a home addition, brush up on the required permits.

If the system seems like a confusing web of applications and inspections, you’re right. That’s why we don’t recommend doing it yourself. Keep in mind that “the one who pulls the permit is responsible for the work.” 

That means if you pull the permit yourself, or if your contractor pulls it in your name, then YOU are responsible for the work, even if you didn’t do it. This leaves lots of room for error on the contractor’s part, and some contractors may not accept responsibility for mistakes.

For that reason, you should hire an experienced, locally licensed contractor who does quality work and knows the system. The two keywords here are “experienced” and “local.” 

Just as a certified public accountant or a lawyer has to pass an exam and prove their qualifications, a properly licensed contractor has to have certain qualifications to pull a permit. These include having a master technician on the team and meeting selected screening qualifications.

Local means hiring a contractor who works frequently in your municipality. Permit and building requirements vary from town to town.

What Permits Are Required for Residential Additions?

If your house is feeling a bit cramped and you’re looking to expand your home’s footprint, you’re first going to need to get the proper clearance from your local authorities.

You’ll need to make sure you pull the proper building permits for your home addition.

Fortunately, it’s not that hard to get the go-ahead on your dream project. Permitting, above all, helps to ensure safe, legal, city code approval, quality construction—and that the addition rests entirely on your own property. (No squabbling with the neighbors over where your property line ends and theirs begins!).

Zoning

When you’re planning to add on to your home, one of the first things you’re going to need to confirm is zoning for the kind of construction you want. Some cities and municipalities, for instance, will limit the amount of square footage permitted on a single lot. Others may restrict the number of detached buildings allowed on the same parcel of land. And still others will specify that only certain types of constructions are allowed within that zone. 

So you should check with your local officials before you even begin construction to make sure your project meets your property’s zoning requirements. You might be required to purchase a zoning license to go ahead with the expansion, which will usually involve additional steps, such as site inspections to ensure that your land’s water, septic, and electrical systems can safely support the new addition. 

Plan Review

After you’ve ensured your project meets zoning requirements, you’re going to need to submit a building plan for officials to conduct a plan review. This will generally include a drawing of the proposed addition, as well as details regarding construction. Again, this is all about safety and legality. 

Inspectors consider issues such as structure, foundation, and location. They’ll want to ensure there is proper clearance between the new addition and other structures to minimize fire risk. And they’ll also want to ensure the building plan works for the addition’s intended purpose. For instance, an attached bedroom with a half-bath will need to meet different standards than a detached guest house complete with a kitchen, bathrooms, and gas heating.

Post-Construction Inspections

The permitting process doesn’t end once you’ve received clearance to start your project, though. At the very least, your town or municipality will require an inspection to ensure that the work went as planned and according to the required code, health and safety standards. Generally, this is for the safety and well-being of all citizens. .

Why Permitting Matters

It might seem like a lot of legwork to make sure you have the proper permits in place before, during, and after construction. But taking care of the permits right away can save a lot of hassle down the road. Unapproved constructions, or work completed by contractors who don’t have the proper permits, can actually decrease the value of your home and could possibly make you liable to repay and become engulfed in a lawsuit by the new homeowners. .

Not only that, but because your property taxes are generally based on the value of the improvements made to the land, failure to get the appropriate permits can leave you on the hook for unpaid property taxes later on.

So, as you can see, permits can have a big impact on your finances if you ignore them. For example, if you don’t have an electrical permit on file for any electrical modifications in your home, you couldn’t collect insurance if the cause of a fire is determined to be non-permitted work. Permits help when it’s time to sell a home, since potential homebuyers will want to be sure the appropriate permits exist for any modifications or additions to the home.

Most importantly, building codes and permits are put in place for your health and safety. They set forth minimum requirements for the types and sizes of materials to be used to meet safety standards. 

These are all really important reasons why the permitting process works in your favor. If you’re hiring a contractor to build your addition, then ensuring that your builder is working with the necessary permits is a pretty great clue that they’re a legit company doing quality work. Win-win!

Example: Permitting for a Kitchen Remodel

You don’t have to add on to your home or construct an entirely new building on your property to require permits, though. In some cases, even an extensive remodeling project will require permitting. 

This is especially true of kitchens and bathrooms, where the renovation may place significant demands on your gas, electrical, water, and/or plumbing systems. 

Below are some examples of the kinds of permits that might be required for an extensive kitchen remodel:

• Structural: This is necessary if you’re making major modifications that include blowing out walls or building new ones. 

• Electrical: Even if you’re just moving one plug or installing any new fixtures, you need an electrical permit. If you’re doing an electrical upgrade, make sure you bring everything up to current building code standards. 

• Plumbing: If you are adding a redesigned laundry room that includes a new location for the sink, you will need a plumbing permit. 

• Gas permit: If your new stovetop has a gas grill, you will need a gas permit to run a new gas line. If it’s electric, it will fall under the electrical permit.

• Local permits: You will need any other permits required by your township or municipality.

Understanding Home Addition Permits

Dealing with paperwork isn’t the most exciting way to spend a weekend. But the permitting process isn’t just a legal requirement—it’s also great protection. Permits will help ensure your cozy new bedroom or inspiring detached artist’s studio is safe, solid, and inviting for years to come!

Remodeling or adding square footage to your home can be an exciting endeavor, promising to enhance your living space and potentially increase your property’s value. However, amid the enthusiasm for your home improvement project, it’s crucial not to overlook a critical aspect: building permits. In this article I delve into the importance of permits for homeowners considering property updates, exploring the reasons for obtaining permits and the key considerations in the permitting process.

Benefit of Obtaining Permits

The first question many homeowners ponder is whether they truly need permits for their remodeling or expansion projects. The answer, in most cases, is a resounding yes. Obtaining permits isn’t just a bureaucratic formality; it’s a legal requirement in many jurisdictions.

Building codes are established to ensure safety, structural integrity, and compliance with zoning regulations. By obtaining permits, homeowners demonstrate their commitment to adhering to these standards, safeguarding their investment and the well-being of their household.

Beyond legal obligations, obtaining permits is essential for several reasons. First, it ensures compliance with building codes, which are updated periodically to reflect advancements in construction practices and safety standards. By adhering to these codes, homeowners can mitigate risks and liabilities associated with substandard construction practices.

Second, obtaining permits provides legal protection. In the event of property damage, personal injury, or disputes with neighbors, having permits in place serves as tangible evidence that the remodeling or expansion was conducted in accordance with established regulations. This can help shield homeowners from potential lawsuits and liability claims.

Moreover, obtaining permits can have implications for insurance coverage. Insurance companies may require proof of permits for home improvement projects, particularly those involving structural alterations or square footage additions. Failing to obtain permits could jeopardize insurance coverage, leaving homeowners vulnerable in the event of accidents or damages.

Finally, permits can positively impact resale value. Prospective buyers are increasingly vigilant about the legality and quality of home improvements. Properties with properly permitted renovations often command higher prices and attract more discerning buyers who value transparency and compliance.

Also, buyers who are financing their purchase will be depending on a home appraisal to justify their purchase price. Non-permitted additions will not be taken into consideration by appraisers, potentially reducing the amount of financing available. This can force buyers to increase their down payment to cover the difference between the offer price and the appraised value. This may reduce the number of purchase offers and thus the final selling price.

Permits for Every Project?

While there are many projects where I would strongly advise you to apply for permits, there may be cases where the cost and effort aren’t worth it. Small home updates that aren’t dealing with structural elements can often be performed by a homeowner or a handy ma’am. Replacing kitchen cabinets or countertops, updating flooring, or installing new fixtures probably don’t warrant the effort to obtain permits.

However, any time you are contemplating any change to the footprint of your home by adding square footage, you should definitely have the work permitted to ensure you’ll receive credit from an appraiser for the addition when you go to sell your home.

Considerations in the Permitting Process

While obtaining permits is essential, navigating the permitting process can be daunting for homeowners. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:

1. Research Local Building Codes and Regulations: Before starting your remodeling or expansion project, familiarize yourself with local building codes and zoning regulations. Each jurisdiction may have its own requirements and restrictions governing construction projects, so it’s crucial to understand the rules applicable to your area. Fortunately most cities now offer online permitting systems to make it easier to research and apply for permits. 

2. Understand Permitting Costs and Fees: Permitting fees vary depending on the scope and complexity of the project, as well as local regulations. Budgeting for these costs upfront can help avoid surprises and delays during the permitting process.

3. Submitting a Complete and Accurate Application: When applying for permits, ensure that your application is complete and accurate. Provide detailed plans, specifications, and other required documentation to expedite the approval process and minimize the risk of rejection or delays.

4. Timelines and Approval Process: Be aware of the timelines and approval process for permits in your jurisdiction. Some projects may require multiple rounds of review and approval, so it’s essential to factor in sufficient time for the permitting process when planning your project timeline.

5. Inspections and Compliance Checks: Once permits are obtained, be prepared for inspections and compliance checks throughout the construction process. Building inspectors will verify that the work is being carried out according to approved plans and specifications, so ensure that your contractor is aware of these requirements.

6. Potential Challenges and Appeals Process: In some cases, permit applications may be denied or subject to conditions that pose challenges for homeowners. Familiarize yourself with the appeals process and options for resolving disputes or addressing objections raised by regulatory authorities.

Conclusion

WE CAN ASSIST YOU IN OBTAINING YOUR PERMITS TO MAKE SURE TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY IN THE LONG TERM BASIS.

CALL NOW FOR MORE DETAILS —

NO OBLIGATION NECESSARY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS CALL TODAY 310-533-5400

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Obtaining permits is a crucial step for homeowners considering remodeling or adding square footage to their homes. Beyond meeting legal requirements, permits offer numerous benefits, including ensuring compliance with building codes, providing legal protection, enhancing resale value, and facilitating future inspections and maintenance. While navigating the permitting process may pose challenges, thorough research, careful planning, and adherence to regulatory requirements can help homeowners successfully navigate this critical aspect of home improvement projects.