WHY YOU NEED A BUILDING PERMIT IN NIGERIA
Having a permit proves that the project drawings have been cleared and met all necessary specifications. It also gives one the satisfaction that the new home improvement is safe and compliant.
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WHY YOU NEED A BUILDING PERMIT IN NIGERIA
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a building permit is an official document that gives you permission to build on land or to make changes to a building.
A Building Permit is an official approval issued by the local government agency that allows one or one’s contractor to proceed with construction or remodeling project on a property, whether residential or commercial property.
A building permit allows a person to legally begin construction on his home project. Having a permit proves that the project drawings have been cleared and met all necessary specifications. It also gives one the satisfaction that the new home improvement is safe and compliant.
SOME PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE BUILDING PERMIT ARE:
Additions—such as, family rooms, attached guest houses, etc.
New buildings
Renovations—such as, garage conversions, kitchen expansion, etc.
Electrical
Plumbing
Load Bearing Wall Removal
Major Design Changes
WHY BUILDING PERMIT IS ABSOLUTELY INDISPENSABLE
A building permit is an official approval to proceed with a construction project. It is also intended to ensure that the project plans comply with local standards for land use, zoning and construction. These standards are intended to ensure the safety of current and future owners and occupants and enforcement of zoning and land use policies.
Specific issues the building permit process may address include structural integrity, zoning, sanitation, water and sewer lines, fire resistance and electrical services.
As stated earlier, a building permit legally allows you to start your architectural project. Building without a permit can lead to a lot of problems in the long run. If the city finds out you’ve built, added on, rebuilt, or have done major renovation changes to your home, they may have you tear down the newly renovated space, or not allow you to use that space.
Permits ensure that construction is performed in compliance with state and local codes, including safety standards. … Failure to obtain a building permit is a violation of Contractors License Law.
CONSEQUENCES OF BUILDING WITHOUT A BUILDING PERMIT
In some cases, one might think he can handle a construction project without bothering to obtain a permit, even though he suspects he might need one. If a person gets caught he will pay a hefty price. So it would be a better option to get the necessary permits for whatever a person wishes to do because there are consequences for doing otherwise.
For example, when a person tries to sell his house, the buyers’ inspection may not cover remodeling or additions that were not properly permitted and may not be completely up to code. This can prevent the owner from selling the house and may require that he undo the previous work and start again – this time with a permit.
Building house without obtaining all necessary documents or approval from where you ought to get them could amount to colossal waste later in life. Lots of people have done that but are still regretting their actions that’s if they were a life to tell the story.
Sometimes it is very dangerous because it can lead to demolition of your house, so as a builder you must have all the necessary documents of building before you start building, you must submit your plans and architectural drawings to the relevant authorities before you start building.
It is very important to have a necessary permission before starting a build construction, because it’s a illegal action to build house without talking a good step.
Further, construction performed without a permit can expose a homeowner to additional liability and costs. In cases where a permit is required, one will need to obtain it before one conducts any construction on any property.
A person would likely need a building permit and possibly other permits, to build a new garage or convert an existing garage into living space. One would probably not need a permit to add drywall or shelving units to an existing garage. Unfortunately, In Nigeria this usually and commonly happen, some people will just build house without considering an erosion, road line etc.
The blame should be on the government. No sufficient sensitization for the people. Some people don’t even know the relevant agents to meet for some documentations they will need after getting the land. If they know the importance, they will ensure they obtain it.
If a person is starting a home addition, remodel, or any other home improvement he or she is likely going to need a building permit. Building permits are very important to have when working on your home and they are easy to get.
In our country here Nigeria building collapse is so rampant that you hardly not hear of one happening in a day, it has destroy a lot of home, causes death among many others.
But what can we say is the major cause of this building collapse? We are! Yes we. The truth is a lot of us want to cut corners or spend less in building a house without caring less or not minding the future consequence, we build with low quality materials, employ inexperience labors, use the wrong design or construction method among many others.
The government need to enforce strict construction laws to correct this, and I believe when proper discipline is instilled in every offender, it will go a long way in curbing building collapse menace in our country.
In Conclusion, around the Globe, the construction of buildings is well regulated through building regulations and controls put in place to secure health, safety and aesthetic and town planning goals. Whilst the building regulations would normally set out to establish the legal requirements and standards for design and construction of buildings, building control refers to statutory and routine checks at various phases of building works to certify compliance with building regulation.
Therefore, the enforcement of Building Permit is a means of ensure the building of safe and conducive structures.
NB: This article is not a legal advice, and under no circumstance should you take it as such. All information provided are for general purpose only. For information, please contact chamanlawfirm@gmail.com
WRITTEN BY CHAMAN LAW FIRM TEAM
EMAIL: chamanlawfirm@gmail.com
TEL: 08065553671, 08024230080