Rules and regulations are generally a pain in the neck. Rules and regulations that cost you money are a bigger pain in the neck. It must be something about human nature that nobody likes to be told what to do. But what if we just let everyone run amok? Chaos would rule and it would be like the old Wild West. So, we have to have rules. You don't have to like them, but usually they are in place for a reason. Most likely, someone had problems with one of those pesky neighbors trying to run amok and a rule had to be created to keep them under control.

The requirement for a building permit in the City of Alliance, when you are doing work over a certain dollar amount, is one of the rules. Even God had rules for Noah when he was building the Ark, like only two of a kind please. So, if you're planning to do work costing over $500, you have to get a permit from the Building Department located at 504 E. Main St.. Of course, not everything requires a permit but to be sure you should call the Building Department at 330-823-5122 to find out. Lucinda Feess usually answers the phone and she has a list right handy of all the required permits and the cost of each.

Now, say we have a big storm this weekend and your roof blows off. Do you have to wait until the city's Building Department opens to get a permit before you start work on it? No. In an emergency situation, work can be performed without first securing a building permit. You do have to notify the Building Department within 2 hours after they open the next working day.

Generally, if you are remodeling the inside of your house, you won't need a building permit unless you are altering the integrity or structure of the home. If you're doing electrical work of any kind, you need a permit. Plumbing requires a permit if you are adding fixtures or drains. Replacement fixtures don’t usually require a permit. But always remember, call and ask the Building Department first.

If you or your contractor pulls a permit for any work, you will be inspected by the city in one way or another. That's not a bad thing. There are contractors who are less than honest and a city inspection can end up saving the homeowner a lot of money and aggravation. In another situation, you may end up having problems with your homeowner's insurance unless you have the proper inspections done on the work. If you increase the value of your home by $20,000 and your insurance company refuses to insure it for that increased amount unless you have proof it was properly inspected, what have you gained?

Yet another scenario could have you in court for property tax fraud. When the city issues a building permit, Stark County receives notice of that. When your property is re-evaluated for tax purposes, if you haven't pulled a permit for improvements, the county might think you are trying to get away with something. It's just not worth taking chances. It's better to just be straight up about the whole thing. You might not like the rules, but sometimes it's just easier to play by them. Besides, if your pesky neighbor tries to run amok and break the rules, you're surely not going to like that.

If you have questions about building or other permits, call the Building Department at 330-823-5122.