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Building permit: what it means

A building permit is the approval a local government gives to start a construction project. Not every area of the country requires one.

In Spanish it is

Permiso de construcción (building permit)

Also written as: construction permit · permit

Verified on October 17, 2026

3 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

If you renovate with an FHA 203(k) loan, the program requires all building permits to be obtained before work starts and posted on site. Freddie Mac also recommends working with your contractor to get any permits you need before a renovation begins.

An example

Before replacing the roof, Raúl and his contractor apply for the permit at their county's building office. They wait for approval before starting.

You will see it in…

Your city or county permit office
Your contract with your contractor
The paperwork for a renovation loan, such as a 203(k)

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “building permit”

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. U.S. Census Bureau · Building Permits Survey: definitions (building or zoning permit) (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
2. HUD · Buying a house that needs rehabilitation or renovating your home? (203(k) consumer fact sheet) (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
3. Freddie Mac · The ultimate guide to renovating your home (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026