If Hurricane Sandy left you with a few repairs to make around the house, you might be pleased to hear that Verona is waiving fees for permits issued for storm-related damage.
State officials are allowing municipalities to temporarily suspend permit fees and Verona opted to do that. (The state and Verona did this after Hurricane Irene last year as well.) Since this was a state directive, it could apply at the shore as well, though we have not seen announcements by towns there.
Building Inspector Tom Jacobsen says that Verona is also expediting the permit process. “We will issue roofing permits related to the storm right at the window,” he says. Remember that you need a permit if you are repairing more than 25% of your roof, and for all other interior and exterior construction, as well as for whole-house generators. Verona also will still be carrying out all the building inspections it normally does for any construction work.
Jacobsen, who says that his office got 15 calls about damage the night that Hurricane Sandy hit, says he is happy to talk with any affected homeowners to help them understand the best way to go about their repairs. You can call the Building Inspector’s office at 973-857-4834. The office cannot recommend contractors, so Jacobsen urged residents to talk to their neighbors to find qualified help. “We have a lot of great local contractors,” he said. (Many Verona contractors have listings in MyVeronaNJ.com’s affiliated business directory, ShopVerona.com.)
Last week, the state issued a warning about hurricane-related construction scams. It is urging people who have problems to call the Division of Consumer Affairs at 800-242-5846.
