Need to make an improvement on your home in Washington, DC? First, you’ll need to verify whether a building permit will be needed. Some home improvement projects require a building permit, while others do not.

Home Improvements That Require a Permit

The D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) requires that a permit be obtained for all structural improvements.

Washington D.C. home improvements such as building a new deck, adding on a sunroom or expanding a porch would require a building permit. Installing or replacing a hot water heater, installing and replacing a furnace, altering existing plumbing and installing new plumbing require building permits as well.

Demolition of a garage or shed will also require a D.C. building permit. Similarly, a building permit would be needed for demolition of a room or the entire house.

These home improvement projects require permits because they all are significant alterations of a structure. Any new structure or addition to an existing structure requires a building permit in D.C.

Home Improvements That Do Not Require a Permit

Examples of D.C. home improvement projects that would not require a building permit include replacing floorboards in a porch, replacing a cracked window with a new one that is the same size as the previous window and replacing an old door with a new one that fits in the same frame as the old door. Garden Tree Removal services also does not require a permit.

Is There Any Expedited Processing of Permits

While in some municipalities have expedited processing for building permits on projects that are considered “green,” in D.C. those types of projects do not currently have the benefit of expedited processing. Perhaps, in the future DCRA will come up with an expedited service for home improvement projects that are eco-friendly.