Legalizations, Building Permits, and Certificate of Occupancy

Architect Michael McCann is seeing an uptick in clients asking for legalization and Certificate of Occupancy resolutions. As a residential architect and builder, Michael was recently called by a potential client regarding the legalization of a basement remodel. The owner had just installed a new boiler which required final inspection by his town located in Westchester County. When the inspector came to see the boiler he noticed that the basement had been refinished without a builder permit. The inspector then told the owner that he would not complete final inspection of the boiler without the basement being legalized through obtaining a building permit. This requires filing architectural plans with the building department, filing appropriate electrical and plumbing applications. The town would then inspect the basement for code compliance. As an architect Michael has resolved many of these situations.