HomeMy Public PortalAboutBasement Permits After The FactINFORMATION ON BASEMENT PERMITS ‘AFTER THE FACT’
OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR HOMEOWNERS TO CONSIDER:
OPTION 1: Obtain the necessary permits to demolish all the unpermitted/uninspected work in the
basement area. This would include Building, Electrical, Plumbing & Gas Permits if applicable. New permits
would then be required if any subsequent work is planned that falls under the jurisdiction of the Building
Department and the MA Building Code 780 CMR.
OPTION 2: Submit a completed application for the unpermitted/uninspected space in the basement. If the
information shown on the plans and other documents suggest compliance with the State Building Code and
the Health Department septic review, then permits could be issued. Permit Fees will be assessed by the
Building Official. Removal of all the wall coverings such as sheetrock or paneling, as well as insulation, so that
proper inspections can be conducted for items such as, but not limited to framing, draft/fire stopping,
electrical, plumbing, gas, and insulation will be required. If all rough inspections and subsequent final
inspections can be conducted in full, then an unblemished Certificate of Occupancy for this space could be
issued.
OPTION 3: Submit a completed application for the unpermitted/uninspected space in the basement. If
the information shown on the plans and other documents suggest compliance with the State Building
Code and the Health Department septic review, then permits could be issued. Permit Fees will be
assessed by the Building Official. Random portions of the wall covering would need to be removed to
get a general sense of the underlying building materials. If these inspections reveal that there appear
to be recognizable methods of code-compliant construction and no immediate Building, Plumbing &
Gas, or Wiring Code violations are identified, then a Conditional Certificate of Occupancy may be
issued for this space. This Conditional Certificate of Occupancy cannot be relied upon to support any
future claims about any failures that may occur within or because of the unpermitted/uninspected work
in question. Rather, it means that this space appears to be generally safe and functional for occupants
to the best of this Department’s knowledge under the limited inspection circumstances.
All the options noted above will require individuals licensed, registered, and insured in their respective trades to be
involved, and to obtain permits for work in their discipline, due to the complex nature of construction codes. All the
methods described above will result in permits qualified as ‘after the fact.’ The licensed individuals will be welcome
to discuss the situation with the appropriate Inspectors before applying for permits. All Brewster Building Department
Inspectors are familiar with the approaches noted above and will assist in getting the space brought into compliance.
Building Permit applications (for Items 2 & 3 above) would include the following basic items:
A completed application and supporting documents.
Three sets of a scaled floor plan indicating locations and sizes of windows and doors, smoke/co detector
locations, identifying the proposed use of the rooms.
A cross section of the space indicating the ceiling height, the size of wall framing and the insulation value.
The applicant shall submit an additional floor plan and letter to the Health Department requesting a review.
BBD Basement Permit After the Fact Information 1/11/2022