Permit filing
$400–$1.2k
- Permit history lookup
- Application prepared and filed
- Site photos and product sheets
- City fee paid at cost
- Inspections scheduled and met
- Final sign-off delivered
Permit services · Licensed & insured · Plan review handled
Permit services for the drawings and approvals your remodel needs.
We prepare the application and the drawings, answer the plan reviewer's questions, meet every inspector and hand you the final sign-off. We also close open permits and legalize past work before a sale. Our fee is fixed and written; city fees are passed through at cost.
Text what you are building or what the home inspector flagged. A permit coordinator replies within 5 minutes during business hours.
- 2–6 wksTypical approval
- $400+Our fee, simple jobs
- 4.9410 reviews
- 24hWritten estimate
What happens after you text us
A permit coordinator reads your message, and checks the city record first.
Tell us the address and what you are building or what was flagged. The coordinator looks up the permit history for the house, tells you what is on file and what is missing, and books a visit if the work needs to be seen.
- We look up the permit history for your address the same day
- A photo of the inspection report tells us what the buyer wants
- You know the likely fee and timeline before the visit
Hi, we are selling and the buyer's inspector says our finished basement was never permitted. The last owner did it. Closing is in five weeks.
Hi Brian, this is Karen, I handle permits at ProBuild Remodeling. That is fixable. Can you send the address and a photo of the inspection report page about the basement?
Sent. It mentions no permit on file and a missing egress window.
Thanks. I checked the county record and there is no basement permit, as they said. We would draw the basement as built, open a few spots for the inspector and price the egress window. I can come Friday at 9 and give you a written plan and fee that afternoon.
Friday works. Can it be done before closing?
Often, yes. I will give you an honest timeline on Friday once I see what the city needs opened.
What permit services cost
Permit services cost $400 to $10,000. City fees are billed at cost, on their own line.
For most remodels, Permit with drawings is the right fit. Our fee covers the paperwork, drawings, plan review answers and inspection visits. The fee the city charges is listed separately so you see exactly what goes to the building department.
Permit with drawings
$1.5k–$4k
- Everything in Permit filing
- Floor plan and site plan
- Details the reviewer asks for
- Plan review answers
- Energy code forms
- Up to four inspections met
Engineered or legalization
$4k–$10k
- Everything in drawings tier
- Engineer's stamped letter
- As-built drawings of past work
- Walls opened for inspection
- Corrections priced separately
- Old permits closed out
Estimate your permit costs
Pick the permit package, the size of the project and the age of the house. The range shows our fee; your written estimate adds the city fee at cost for your address.
A range, not a quote. Your written estimate comes after the visit and does not change once you approve it.
Typical range for your answers
Turn this range into a written permit estimateWhere permit money goes
About a third goes to the city. Drawings and inspections are most of the rest.
Averages from our recent permits with drawings, city fees included. City fees vary widely by town, which is why we show them on their own line instead of folding them into our fee.
Get my itemized permit estimate
Do you need a permit
Most remodels that touch structure or systems need a permit. Cosmetic work usually does not.
Rules differ by town, but the pattern is steady: if the work changes structure, wiring, plumbing, gas or the size of a window or door, a permit is expected. These six examples cover what we are asked most.
| If your project includes | Usually |
|---|---|
| Removing or moving a wall | Permit needed |
| New circuits, outlets or a panel upgrade | Permit needed |
| Painting, flooring or new cabinets in place | No permit |
| Replacing a water heater or furnace | Permit needed |
| Swapping a faucet or light fixture | No permit |
| A deck more than 30 inches off the ground | Permit needed |
How long it takes
Most permits take two to six weeks, and we file before the work is scheduled.
Simple permits can clear in days. Structural work and legalizing past work take four to eight weeks because of engineering and inspector visits.
Week one
Research and records
We pull the permit history for your address, check zoning and confirm which permits apply.
Weeks one and two
Drawings and filing
Drawings and forms are prepared, the application is filed and the city fee is paid at cost.
Weeks two to five
Plan review
The reviewer's questions are answered in writing until the permit is issued and posted.
During the work
Inspections and final
We meet each inspector on site, fix any correction and hand you the final sign-off.
Remodeling concepts
Permit services: conditions and possibilities.
AI-generated examples of existing conditions and remodeling possibilities. Each image is a separate concept, not a documented transformation of the same home.
What goes into your permit file
Every document the city asks for, prepared and kept in one file for you.
A permit is a stack of documents that each reviewer reads for a different reason. We prepare every one, keep copies for you and hand over the whole file at the end, because buyers and insurers ask for it later.
Permit application
The city's form, filled out with the scope, value of work and licensed contractor details, then filed in person or online.
Site plan
A drawing of your lot showing the house, property lines and the new work, needed for decks, additions and outside changes.
Floor plan and details
The room drawn to scale with walls, fixtures, outlets and notes on materials, the core of most remodel permit reviews.
Engineer's letter
A stamped letter from a licensed structural engineer sizing beams, posts and footings whenever the structure of the house changes.
Energy code forms
REScheck or local forms showing that insulation, windows and lighting meet the energy code your town has adopted for remodels.
Inspection card and final
The card posted on site and signed at each inspection, ending with the final approval that closes the permit on the city record.
Written into every contract
Six promises you can hold us to.
The approved price is the final price. Change orders only with your written approval.
A credit for every working day of delay we cause. Weather and inspections excepted, in writing.
Dust barriers, floor protection and a clean-up before we leave. Your home stays livable.
A text or email every working day with photos and tomorrow's plan, or the day is free.
Workmanship warranty in writing, transferable to the next owner, backed by a fixed address.
A small deposit, then you pay only for work that is already completed, inspected and photographed.
Who handles your permit
A permit coordinator and a drafter, with a supervisor at every inspection.
Permits move faster when the same people handle them from the first form to the final. You get their names on day one, and every one of them is background-checked.
Permit coordinator
Files the application, answers reviewers and tracks every date.
Permit drafter
Draws the plans and as-builts the building department asks for.
Licensed supervisor
Meets each inspector on site and handles any correction the same week.
Illustrative project scopes
Permit services: scope and budget examples.
Planning examples with illustrative budgets and durations. These are not completed customer jobs, invoices or promises about your project.
Basement legalized before sale
- Example budget
- $6,800
- Example duration
- 5 weeks
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Kitchen permit with drawings
- Example budget
- $2,300
- Example duration
- 4 weeks
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Expired deck permit closed
- Example budget
- $950
- Example duration
- 2 weeks
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Your case is not average
Your permit story is different. Here is how the fee and timeline change for it.
Every permit follows the same steps, but the time and cost move with your house, your town and your deadline. Pick the one closest to yours.
Selling with a permit problem
A buyer's inspector found work with no permit or an open permit. We check the record, tell you what the city will need to see and how long it takes, and work backward from your closing date so the sale is not put at risk.
Fix my permit problem before closingYou just bought the house
Many buyers learn after closing that the finished basement or the deck was never permitted. Legalizing it now protects your insurance and your next sale, and it is simpler before you remodel on top of it.
Check permits on my new houseWork done without a permit
We draw the work as it stands, open the few spots the inspector needs to see, and fix only what fails code. Most legalizations need small corrections, not a teardown, and the estimate says which ones apply.
Get my past work legalizedA historic district
Historic commissions review windows, doors, siding and anything seen from the street before a building permit is issued. We prepare the drawings and photos they ask for and add that review to the timeline.
Plan my historic district permitA condo or HOA
Most associations want to approve drawings, insurance papers and work hours before work starts, and some cities require that approval before they issue a permit. We file both so neither one holds up the other.
Handle my condo approvals and permitSome of the work was DIY
Some towns allow a homeowner permit, others do not. If you did the work, we inspect it with you, correct what a licensed trade must redo, and take responsibility for the permit on the parts we complete.
Get my DIY work checked for a permitA rental property
Many cities require rental registration or unit inspections, and unpermitted work can fail them. We line up permits for repairs between tenants, so the unit passes its inspection and the next lease starts on time.
Get permits for my rental unitA tight start date
Permits are often the slowest step in a remodel. We file as soon as the drawings are ready, answer reviewer questions the day they arrive and ask about express review where the city offers it for an extra fee.
Speed up my permit timelineWhat this service is
Permit services, defined the way we handle them.
Permit services are the work of getting a remodel approved and signed off by the local building department: researching which permits apply, preparing applications and permit drawings, answering plan review, scheduling and meeting inspections, and delivering the final approval. ProBuild Remodeling provides them as a licensed contractor, for the projects we build and for closing out or legalizing past work.
The service covers permit history lookups, applications, site and floor plans, energy code forms, engineer coordination, plan review answers, inspection visits and closing open permits. Legalization includes as-built drawings and opening walls for inspectors. City permit fees are passed through at cost on their own line. Corrections found at inspection are priced separately and done only with your approval.
It is for homeowners remodeling with us, owners selling a house with open or missing permits, and new owners who found unpermitted work after closing. It is not for filing permits on work another contractor will build, since the permit holder must be the licensed contractor doing the job.
The words you will see in your permit file
- Building permit
- Written approval from the city or county to do construction work, issued before work starts and closed at the end.
- Plan review
- The city's check of your drawings against building codes before issuing the permit. It may come back with questions.
- Rough inspection
- The inspector's check of framing, wiring and plumbing before walls are closed. Drywall waits until it passes.
- Final inspection
- The last visit, when the inspector confirms the finished work meets code and closes the permit.
- Open permit
- A permit issued but never closed with a final inspection. It can hold up a sale or block a new permit.
- Legalization
- Getting a permit for work already built without one, by drawing it, showing it to inspectors and fixing what fails.
- Certificate of occupancy
- A document some towns issue when a new living space, like a basement bedroom, is approved to be lived in.
- Variance
- Permission from the zoning board to build outside a normal rule, such as closer to a property line than allowed.
Questions we hear about permits
The eight permit questions homeowners ask us most.
Which parts of a bathroom or kitchen job need a permit?
In a kitchen or bath, moving plumbing, adding circuits or outlets, changing the exhaust fan or moving a wall almost always needs one. Replacing cabinets, a vanity, a toilet or tile in the same spot usually does not. We check your town's rule at the first contact.
How much does a building permit cost for a remodel?
City fees for a typical kitchen or bath permit run about $200 to $2,000, often figured as 1 to 2 percent of the project value. Our fee for preparing drawings, filing and inspections is separate, from $400 for simple jobs to $4,000 for full drawings.
How long does it take to get a building permit?
Simple permits can be issued in a few days. Kitchens, baths and basements usually take two to six weeks, depending on the town's review backlog. Structural work with an engineer and historic districts can take longer.
What happens if I remodel without a permit?
The city can fine you, stop the work or require walls to be opened. Insurers may deny claims tied to unpermitted work, and buyers' inspectors often flag it, which can delay or reduce a sale. Legalizing it later usually costs more than permitting it upfront.
Can you get a permit for work that is already done?
Yes, in most towns. We draw the work as built, open small areas so the inspector can see framing, wiring and plumbing, correct what does not meet code and close the permit. Most legalizations take four to eight weeks.
What is an open permit and why does it matter when selling?
It is a permit that was issued but never closed with a final inspection. Title companies and buyers often ask for it to be closed before sale. Closing it usually means one or two inspections and small corrections.
Does a building permit raise my property taxes?
It can, because permits tell the assessor that the house changed. Adding living space, like a finished basement or a new bath, is the kind of change most likely to raise the assessed value. Replacing like for like rarely does.
How many inspections does a remodel permit need?
A kitchen or bath usually has two to four: rough plumbing, rough electrical, sometimes framing and insulation, then a final. We schedule and meet every one so you do not have to take time off work.
Permit services near you
Your remodeling address, within our service area.
Permits are filed with your own city or county by a contractor licensed in your state, with license numbers listed state by state.
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Florida
- Check your remodeling address
Free permit estimate
Send your answers now. Know what the city needs within 24 hours.
A permit coordinator reads your answers, checks the record for your address and replies within 5 minutes during business hours.