Why You Need a Survey When You Buy a Home - Reason Number 43
March 20th, 2008 Categories: Buying a Home
I recently had a past client contact me and ask if he needed a permit to expand the deck on his home in North Raleigh. I get lots of calls from past clients regarding just about any subject related to the homes I sell them. And I gladly serve as an expert resource at no charge to all my clients for any needs or questions like this that they might have. But I honestly didn’t know the answer to this one.
So, I set out on a little research project and discovered some interesting bits of information regarding adding on to your home. Here’s what I found out.
A permit is required for anything that increases the area that a structure covers
The folks at the Raleigh Inspections Department let me know that a permit is required for deck additions, as well as any other kind of addition to a home in the City of Raleigh. It seems one of their main concerns is possible violations of building setbacks. Basically, you can only place a permanent structure within a certain distance of the property line.
The permit application process consists of sketching out your addition on a copy of a survey and submitting it, along with $70, for approval. The process can be done in person at the Raleigh Inspections Department and if everything is in order, you will walk away with your permit in 30-60 minutes.
Uh Oh, I don’t have a survey
Surveys are optional when you buy a home. I always recommend that my buyers obtain one. Every once in a while someone will just refuse to pay for a survey, and choose not to get one. In addition to protecting you from purchasing a property with a title defect related to matters that would be discovered with a survey, it is extremely handy if you ever want to put up a fence, build a storage building, or in this case, expand or build a deck.
You guessed it. My client just didn’t see the need to pay for a survey at closing several years ago. Now he is now faced with either having to order and pay for one before doing the deck project, or risk an alternative method that could possible lead to inadvertently violating a setback rule, or some other building code.
The risk of the alternative method
The alternative method to consider when you don’t have a survey and want to add on to your home is a little tricky. The first thing you have to do is search the public records and locate a plat map. That’s a map that shows your street and your lot as well as adjacent lots in your subdivision.
Once you have the plat map in hand, you have to find some point of reference and try to estimate where on the plat map your house is located. The risk is that you could easily be off by a foot or two on where you think the house is on the map. Then as you go out towards the setback lines (which usually aren’t shown on the plat map either) you could accidentally violate a setback rule.
So what happens if I violate a silly setback rule?
One possibility is that nothing happens as long as no one ever finds out. But what if you want to sell your home later on? Do you think the buyer will order a survey? Smart buyers will. And when they do, the violation will be clearly seen and noted by the surveyor.
Now rather that a relative smooth closing, you will have to move the building, or deck, that is in violation. Oh, and what if one of the main reasons the buyer wanted your home was because of the awesome party deck? If you must substantially change the look or function of the deck, the buyer may want out of the contract all together. Whatever happens, I can promise you will be wondering why you didn’t just get a survey in the first place.
When buying a home, make sure you have a real estate agent who will look out for your best interests and give you the maximum possible legal and financial protection. It’s our fiduciary duty and it’s what you deserve.
