
They're common in America, Europe and many other parts of the world. Today, those initial responses to disaster have grown into comprehensive building codes for both commercial and residential construction. The famous 1871 Chicago Fire resulted in new regulations there four years later.

A terrible fire in 1666 in London led to the London Building Act. Way back in 1625, the Dutch West India Company addressed problems of fire and poor sanitation by passing a building code for New Amsterdam, which we now know as New York. From their beginning, building codes and permits have often been responses to disaster. Hurricane Andrew caused many Florida communities to beef up building codes and to enforce permits more rigorously. They update them every few years as new building methods and materials are introduced. Local governments adopt those codes in order to ensure that all buildings meet minimum safety and structural standards. It can also play a big role in protecting the value of your home.īuilding permits are the way counties, towns and municipalities enforce their building codes. The fact is, the building permit process can save your life.

But a natural disaster can be wake-up call.

That's how a lot of homeowners think of building permits.
