Some repairs after water damage, such as work on walls, floors, foundations or plumbing, can need a permit. The City of Champaign and the City of Urbana building departments answer repair-permit questions for buildings in their cities. This guide does not state the permit rules themselves, which the offices set.
Key takeaways
- A repair that changes a wall, floor, foundation or plumbing can need a permit, depending on the work and the place.
- The City of Champaign and the City of Urbana building departments answer repair-permit questions for buildings in their own cities.
- Addresses outside those cities, including villages and towns in the county, are asked of the office that serves them.
- Drying records and photographs are useful evidence to bring with a permit question.
- The drying work itself is usually separate from a permit for the repair that follows it.
Does drying a building need a permit?
Drying with air movers and dehumidifiers is generally a different matter from a repair. Whether any permit applies depends on the work and the building, so the question should be put to the office that serves the address.
Setting equipment in a building to dry it does not change the structure. Removing material and replacing it are the points where a permit question is more likely to arise, and the crew can describe what it expects to remove.
Ask the office before the work starts if you are unsure. A short question at the beginning avoids a problem later.
A short written note of the address, the work intended and the office you asked is a useful record. It shows that the question was put to the right place before work began, which is what an office or an inspector will look for first.
Who answers permit questions in the City of Champaign?
The City of Champaign's building department answers repair-permit questions for buildings inside the city. Bring the address, a description of the damage and the drying readings if you have them.
Describe the work you intend, such as replacing a section of drywall, a subfloor or a foundation wall, and say whether plumbing or electrical work is involved. The department can say what applies to that work.
This guide does not set out the department's own rules, because they are the department's to state and can change.
Who answers permit questions in the City of Urbana?
The City of Urbana's building department answers repair-permit questions for buildings inside Urbana. It is separate from Champaign's department, so an Urbana address should be taken to Urbana's office.
Urbana and Champaign are separate cities with their own building departments, even though they share a county and a university. A permit question about a building in one should not be sent to the other.
Bring the same facts as for any office: the address, the work and the readings.
What about a village or a town outside the cities?
A building in a village or town in the county is served by the office that covers that place, which may differ from Champaign's or Urbana's. Ask that office directly.
Villages in Champaign County and the towns in neighboring counties have their own records and offices. The address on the building tells you which one applies, and the crew can help you find the right contact.
Do not assume that a city office answers for a village address.
Ask the office whether it keeps a record of permits for the parcel, and whether a previous permit or a previous repair is noted against the address. A prior repair that was never permitted can affect a new one, so the answer is worth knowing before the new work begins.
What records should I bring to a permit question?
Bring the photographs of the damage, the readings from each visit, the list of materials removed and the scope of the repair you intend. Those records show the building was dried before the repair began.
The drying log is the best evidence that the building was dried and read before any repair. The office can see the moisture readings and the sequence of work, which is what most offices want to check.
Keep copies for yourself and for the insurer, since the same records serve both purposes.
Who is responsible for getting the permit?
The owner of the building normally applies for and holds the permit for repair work, and the contractor who does the work follows its conditions. The drying crew does not apply for repair permits for other trades.
Check with the office who must apply. Some permits are held by the owner, and some are held by the contractor who does the work. The office's answer decides it.
Keep the permit and its conditions with the other records of the repair.
If a contractor says no permit is needed, ask the office to confirm that in writing for your specific work. A general statement from a contractor is not the office's decision, and the office's answer is the one that protects the owner.
Why should a repair wait until the building is dry?
A repair over a wall or floor that is still wet can hide mold, rot and damaged framing. Drying first and reading the structure before closing it is the sequence that protects the repair and the building.
Closing a cavity that still holds water traps moisture against the framing and starts the decay the repair is meant to prevent. The readings show when the cavity is ready to be closed.
A permit office may also expect to see the building proved dry before it approves the repair. The readings are the proof.
How do I find out which office covers my address?
Start with the address and the municipal boundary. An address inside the City of Champaign or the City of Urbana is covered by that city's building department. An address in a village, a township or an unincorporated part of the county is covered by the office that serves that place, which may be a village office, a township office or the county.
If you are not sure of the boundary, ask the office that holds the parcel records for your address, or ask the crew to confirm the place name on the work order. The address on your deed or tax bill is a good place to start, since it names the place the property is in.
Write down the office, the person you spoke to and the date. A permit question that is answered by the wrong office has to be asked again, and a note saves that time.
What happens if work starts before a permit is issued?
Work that needs a permit and starts without one can cause delays, and in some cases the work may have to be opened up so the office can inspect it. The risk falls on the owner and the contractor, and the cost of opening a finished wall can be far greater than the permit.
The safest course is to ask before any structural or plumbing work begins, and to keep the drying readings, so that an inspector can see the building was dry before it was closed. A permit that is applied for late is still better than a repair that has to be reopened.
This guide does not state penalties or timelines, because the office sets them and they can change. The office's own answer is the one to rely on.
Who should apply for the permit on a rental building?
On a rental building the owner usually holds the building's permits, because the owner is responsible for the structure and its plumbing. A tenant's own alterations, such as a finished basement added by a tenant, may be treated differently, and the office will say how.
Agree in writing who applies and who pays for any permit fee before the work starts. A lease or a repair agreement can record that, and it avoids a dispute when the office asks for a permit later.
Keep copies of the permit application and any inspection record with the building's other records, since a future buyer or insurer may ask for them.
What should I do if the office asks for a plan or a drawing?
Offices sometimes ask for a sketch of the work, a description of the materials or a site plan before they will answer fully. Prepare what you can from the building, and ask the office exactly what it needs for the work you intend.
A simple sketch that shows the rooms affected, the wall or floor to be opened and the location of any plumbing or electrical line is often enough for a first answer. Mark the high-water line and the drying readings on it, since they show the extent of the work.
The office may then say that a more detailed drawing or a professional's plan is needed for part of the job. That is a decision for the owner and the trade doing the work, and the crew's readings are a useful input to it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I always need a permit for a water damage repair?
No. Whether a permit applies depends on the work and the place. Ask the office that serves the address before the repair starts.
Who do I ask in Champaign?
The City of Champaign's building department answers repair-permit questions for buildings in the city.
Who do I ask in Urbana?
The City of Urbana's building department answers repair-permit questions for buildings in the city. It is separate from Champaign's office.
Does the drying crew get the permit?
The drying crew does not apply for repair permits for other trades. The permit is usually held by the owner or the contractor doing the repair, and the office will say which.
Will the office check the drying readings?
They may ask for them. The readings and photographs are the evidence that the building was dried before the repair.
How do I know which office covers my address?
Check whether the address is inside a city boundary. If it is, the city's building department answers. If it is in a village, a township or the unincorporated county, the office that serves that place answers, and the parcel records show which one.
Can I ask for a permit before the repair is scoped?
It is better to ask after the crew has read the building, because the scope decides which permits might apply. Ask the office with the readings and the intended work in hand.
Does a drying visit itself need a permit?
Drying equipment placed in a building generally is not the same as a structural repair. Whether any permit applies depends on the work and the office, so ask the office that serves the address if you are unsure.
This guide is general information for Champaign County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.