{"id":1636,"date":"2026-02-24T14:58:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsrenovationquebec.ca\/?p=1636"},"modified":"2026-03-09T00:54:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T00:54:37","slug":"renovation-without-a-permit-in-charny-risks-for-homeowners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsrenovationquebec.ca\/en\/renovation-sans-permis-a-charny-quels-risques-pour-les-proprietaires\/","title":{"rendered":"Renovating without a permit in Charny: what are the risks for homeowners?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You live in Charny and plan to renovate your kitchen,<\/a> expand your patio, or finish your basement. Someone probably told you, \u00abWhy get a permit? No one's going to come and check.\u00bb Or maybe you figure that for small jobs, it's not really necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

It's a thought that many homeowners in Charny and elsewhere in L\u00e9vis have had. Municipal delays seem long, forms complicated, and permit fees add a few hundred dollars to the budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here's what most people don't realize: renovating without a permit when required isn't just an administrative offence. It's a legal, financial and even criminal risk that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n

Municipal fines that pile up day after day, home insurance that refuses to cover a claim, problems when reselling your home, having to undo and redo work - the consequences are real and well-documented.<\/span><\/p>\n

In Charny, with a housing stock that includes many 40-, 50- and 60-year-old houses, renovations are frequent. But that doesn't mean you can do just anything any old how.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why so many renovations in Charny are done without permits<\/b><\/h2>\n

Charny, like many parts of L\u00e9vis, is experiencing a period of intense growth and renovation. Older homes are being modernized, basements finished and kitchens remodeled.<\/span><\/p>\n

But despite the increase in municipal controls and inspections, many homeowners continue to renovate without permits. But why?<\/span><\/p>\n

Often, it's ignorance. People sincerely believe that their project doesn't require a permit. Sometimes it's to avoid delays or costs. And sometimes it's because the contractor told them it wasn't necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00abSmall jobs\u00bb: a poorly understood grey area<\/b><\/h3>\n

Many homeowners think that \u00abodd jobs\u00bb don't require a permit. But what exactly is a small job?<\/span><\/p>\n

Repaint your walls, change your kitchen cabinets without touching the plumbing or electricity,<\/a> installing a new floor on an existing structure<\/a> - This is cosmetic work that generally doesn't require a permit.<\/span><\/p>\n

But as soon as you touch the structure, plumbing, electrical or heating systems, or modify the building's exterior envelope, you almost always need a permit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some examples of work that ALWAYS requires a permit in L\u00e9vis:<\/span><\/p>\n