Except as hereinafter provided, no person, firm, corporation, association or partnership shall commence the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation or demolition of any building or structure or any portion thereof, or install a solid fuel burning heating appliance, chimney or flue in any dwelling unit without first having obtained a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer.
No permit shall be required for
1. Construction or installation of one-story detached structures associated with one or two-family dwellings or multiple single-family dwellings (townhouses) which are used for tool and storage sheds, playhouses, or similar uses, provided the gross floor area does not exceed 144 square feet.
2. Installation of fences which are not part of an enclosure surrounding a swimming pool. While a building permit is not required for non-swimming pool fences, there are other laws to consider:
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In any residential district any fence or wall built on or within five feet of any street line (right-of -way) shall be of open construction, such as wire, picket or iron, and shall not exceed four feet in height.
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Corner Lots: In all districts, on a corner lot, within the triangular area formed by two lines along the center lines of the streets and a third line joining them at points 75 feet away from the intersection of the center lines of the streets, there shall be no obstruction to vision between the height of three feet and the height of 10 feet above the average grade of each street on the center line thereof.
3. Roofs, provided that the framing and anything structural remains unchanged and is not replaced.
4. Construction of retaining walls unless such walls support a surcharge or impound Class I, II, or IIIA liquids.
5. Installation of window awnings supported by an exterior wall of a one or two-family dwelling or multiple single-family dwellings (townhouses).
6. Installation of partitions or movable cases less than 5 ft. 9 in. in height.
7. Painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting, or other similar finish work.
8. Installation of listed portable electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation or cooling equipment or appliances.
9. Replacement of any equipment provided the replacement does not alter the equipment's listing or render it inconsistent with the equipment's original specifications.
10. Repairs, provided that such repairs do not involve:
- Removal or cutting away of a load-bearing wall, partition, or portion thereof, or of any structural beam or load-bearing component
- Removal or change of any required means of egress, or the rearrangement of parts of a structure in a manner which affects egress
- Enlargement, alteration, replacement, or relocation of any building system
- Removal from service all or part of a fire protection system for any period of time