Home Improvement Contractor - Licensed Contractors

If I get a building permit, does the actual work have to be done by a licensed contractor?

I was thinking about getting a permit to convert my garage into a bed room. I was wanting to do the work myself, but does acquiring a permit to do this require the work to be done by a licensed contractor?

Public Comments

1. no you do not need a licensed contractor, but the work all has to pass inspection by the building inspector. Good luck
2. no but you are going to need the plumber and electrician to pull permits also and sign off on them so dont be a dork and do you work up to code
3. I would say yes. If you don't the city/county can make you tear it down. Also, after the work is done, a city/county building inspector must come by to check the work to make sure it is up to code. If this is not done and you have a house fire, your insurance company may not pay you- check with your city/state permits and licenses bureau for rules and regulations.
4. Most cities allow owners to act as their own contractors for all work done on a residence, including a garage. You will need to pull permits for general construction work (walls, windows, roofing, insulation and drywall), electrical and possibly mechanical (HVAC.) Unless you are installing water and sewer, you won't need a plumbing permit. Some municipalities require that electrical and plumbing be done only by licensed contractors. Check with your building department, and let them know you are an owner-builder. A good plan checker can give you a lot of useful information to plan your project. Ask for a brochure for residential remodels, describing what they are looking for in your remodelling plans. And try to develop a good professional relationship with your inspector - they can make things easy or difficult.
5. Don't see any reason to have a licensed contractor. People build their own homes by themselves all the time. When you go for the permit, that's the time to ask any questions you may have. They most likely will have a few questions of there own. What ever you do, make sure everything is up to code.
6. Tom sj has the correct answer.. I am a 37 year experienced paint contractor..and I have one client that has rentals and mobile home parks that when he remodels one of his properties he gets the permit listed as contractor/owner..no problem at all.. as tom suggested..he has to have licensed plumbers and electricians only to do that phase of work though.This is due to the liability and safety of his renters on critical items such as this...So he can do any of the work he wants excepting gas,plumbing, electrical without any special permits