Determine Whether a Residential Project Requires a Permit

A. Finished-Project Specification

Scope: one permit-decision file for one defined residential project, containing a classified scope description, a completed permit matrix, a stop-work list, exemption citations and their limitations, licensing findings, official clarification correspondence, and a final documented decision.

B. Decision File Component Schedule

Component	Quantity	Source Type	Required Content	Verification / Purpose
Scope Description	1	Field record	Property, owner, proposed work, location, dimensions, systems affected, valuation, intended use	Matches photographs, sketches, and existing conditions
Classification Record	1 per scope item	Official	Classification of each scope item as maintenance, repair, alteration, addition, demolition, relocation, or change of use	Sourced to the jurisdiction's own definitions
Trigger Register	1	Official	Structural, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, site, zoning, fire, health, and utility triggers identified	Each trigger tied to a specific scope item
Licensing Findings	1	Official	Contractor, trade-license, owner-builder, and design-professional requirements identified	Sourced to the Project 01 licensing section
Exemption Citations	1 per claimed exemption	Official	Source, exact conditions, and limitations of each claimed exemption	Tested against the actual scope item
Stop-Work List	1	Field record	Activities that cannot begin before permit issuance or separate approval	Cross-checked against the permit matrix
Clarification Log	1 per unresolved item	Correspondence	Agency contact, date, question, and response	Completed for every unresolved item before final decision
Permit Matrix	1	Working document	Scope item, authority, permit type, exemption basis, license requirement, document need, decision status	Complete for every scope item
Final Decision Record	1	Working document	Documented decision of permit required, exempt with citation, or unresolved pending determination	Reviewed with owner, contractor, and design professional as applicable

C. Resource Takeoff

• Scope data: one defined residential project with property, owner, proposed work, dimensions, systems affected, and intended use recorded before classification begins.
• Reference resources: the completed Project 01 binder's authority register, adopted codes, licensing section, and exemption sources.
• Documentation: photographs, sketches, plans, equipment information, and existing permit history for the property.
• Verification allowance: at least one completed contact with the permit authority for a scope item that could not be classified from published sources alone, with the response recorded in the clarification log.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Scope completeness	Every scope item is described with location, dimensions, systems affected, and intended use
Classification sourcing	Every scope item's classification is sourced to the jurisdiction's own definition, not to assumption or a prior project
Trigger completeness	Every structural, MEP, site, zoning, fire, health, and utility trigger present in the scope is identified and recorded
Exemption testing	Every claimed exemption is tested against its exact published conditions and limitations before being relied upon
Licensing completeness	Contractor, trade-license, owner-builder, and design-professional requirements are identified for every applicable scope item
Stop-work accuracy	Every activity that cannot begin before permit issuance or separate approval is listed on the stop-work list
Unresolved-item handling	Every unresolved item is contacted, answered, and recorded with agency, contact, date, question, and response
Decision documentation	The final decision is documented, dated, reviewed with the applicable parties, and filed with its supporting sources

E. Preparation — Define and Document the Scope

1. Define the property, owner, proposed work, location, dimensions, systems affected, cost or valuation if required, and intended use. Record this information on the Property and Scope Record above before classifying any item.
2. Collect photographs, sketches, plans, equipment information, and existing permit history relevant to the scope. File these with the scope description in the decision file.
3. Identify the authority having jurisdiction and confirm the current permit rules from the Chapter 1 binder. Do not rely on a rule that has not been verified in the Project 01 binder or confirmed directly with the authority.

F. Classify the Scope

1. Classify each scope item using local definitions for maintenance, repair, alteration, addition, demolition, relocation, change of use, and new construction. Record the classification and its official source for each item in the classification record.
2. Do not treat replacement in kind as exempt until the local definition and limitations are verified. Confirm the exact conditions of any "like-for-like" or "replacement in kind" language at the official source.
3. Identify structural work affecting foundations, bearing walls, beams, headers, posts, joists, rafters, trusses, shear walls, bracing, stairs, guards, decks, or retaining walls. Record each affected structural component in the trigger register.
4. Identify work affecting exterior openings, roof structure, siding, fire separation, egress, occupancy, accessibility, or weather protection. Record each affected item in the trigger register.

G. Identify MEP, Site, and Zoning Triggers

1. Identify plumbing work involving fixtures, water, drainage, venting, gas, water heaters, backflow, sewer, septic, well, or irrigation. Record each affected plumbing item in the trigger register.
2. Identify electrical work involving service, panels, feeders, circuits, receptacles, lighting, alarms, generators, EV charging, solar, low voltage, or utility connections. Record each affected electrical item in the trigger register.
3. Identify HVAC and mechanical work involving equipment, ducts, ventilation, exhaust, refrigerant, fuel, combustion air, chimneys, flues, or condensate. Record each affected mechanical item in the trigger register.
4. Identify site work involving excavation, grading, drainage, driveways, right-of-way, utilities, trees, floodplain, erosion control, wells, septic, pools, fences, or accessory structures. Record each affected site item in the trigger register.
5. Identify zoning or planning triggers for setbacks, use, height, lot coverage, parking, historic review, design review, or accessory dwelling units. Record each affected zoning item in the trigger register.
6. Identify fire-department, health-department, utility, public-works, environmental, or other separate approvals. Record each separate agency approval required by the scope.

H. Identify Professionals, Licensing, and Exemptions

1. Identify project conditions requiring architect, engineer, surveyor, geotechnical, energy, testing, or special-inspection services. Record each condition in the licensing findings.
2. Identify contractor and trade licensing requirements for the proposed work. Record the applicable license categories from the Project 01 licensing section.
3. Identify owner-builder options and required disclosures without assuming the owner qualifies. Record the disclosure requirement and route qualification questions to the owner and authority, not to assumption.
4. Locate explicit permit exemptions and record their source, conditions, and limitations. File each exemption citation with its exact published wording.
5. Confirm that an exemption does not remove code, zoning, licensing, safety, utility, or HOA obligations. Record this confirmation next to each exemption citation.
6. Separate exempt work from permit-required work when the project contains both. Mark each scope item in the permit matrix as exempt, permit-required, or unresolved individually rather than applying one status to the whole project.
7. Identify whether work may proceed under an over-the-counter, express, standard, deferred, or phased permit process. Record the applicable process for each permit-required item.
8. Identify whether demolition or investigative opening requires authorization before the main permit. Add any required pre-authorization to the stop-work list.

I. Resolve Ambiguity and Issue the Decision

1. Prepare specific official questions for ambiguous scope rather than describing the project vaguely. Draft one focused question per unresolved item, tied to the exact scope condition.
2. Contact the permit authority through the approved channel and record written guidance where available. Use the Field Safety Cue above when making contact.
3. Record the official contact, date, question, response, and any stated limitations. Complete one clarification-log entry per contact.
4. Prepare a permit matrix listing each scope item, authority, permit type, exemption basis if any, license requirement, document need, and decision status. Complete one row per scope item.
5. Prepare a stop-work list for activities that cannot begin before permit issuance or separate approval. Cross-check every stop-work item against the permit matrix.
6. Identify permit, design, fee, review, inspection, and schedule impacts for the Book 24 estimate or project budget. Record these impacts for use in cost and schedule planning.
7. Review the decision with the owner, contractor, and design professional as applicable. Record the reviewers and the date of review.
8. Issue a documented decision of permit required, permit not required based on cited exemption, or unresolved pending official determination. Record the decision, its date, and its supporting sources in the final decision record.
9. File the decision checklist, sources, correspondence, and project-scope description in the compliance record. Store the completed decision file where it is available for Project 03.