Building Permits - Why ?
Yes some small towns or rural communities the inspectors don't know much.
Yes in many cities you can sell a home that has an addition and other unpermitted work without problem.
Sometimes it's just plain rediculous
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Nevertheless, this post is about how it's Building Permits are supposed to work.
Building Code is based on a coroner's inquest. Someone mucked up, died, and rules were made to prevent that. The rules are usually local to you, so you won't find rules about dealing with 100' of water pressure or how to hold back sandstorms unless they happen in your area. For example, in Toronto, Scarborough has more issues with Termites than the rest of the Greater Toronto Area (a half dozen cities near Toronto), and more of their building code and inspections check for that.
Competent inspectors know the code, and have engineering degrees, and have experience in the industry and have seen problems. I would be an idiot to be maimed for the rest of my life for something that happened to someone else before. There are few things that I care about after I'm dead, but one of them is I do not want to be mentioned on the
The Darwin Awards.
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I took the morning off this past Friday to wait for HD to delivery (45) sheets of drywall. The guy was 45 minutes late when he arrived I walked outside to wait for him to forklift the stuff off the truck. Just then I saw a white SUV drive by with some sort of city symbol on the side! The guy in the SUV came back, walked up to my garage where I am storing the drywall and asked me what I was doing. I should have asked for ID or something when I told him I was drywalling my basement he read me the riot act because I didn't have a permit to work in my basement!!!! I got a written violation and I had to submit drawings and fill out an application for the necessary permits with-in 24 hours. Now I have to wait for these guys to get back to me on inspections both structural and electrical. Now I have to wait for the inspections and re-inspections in case they find something they make me fix.
Having them inspect and certify the structural integrity and mechanical portion of the basement covers your hind end in the event that you make an insurance claim for your house being destroyed. There are plenty of code books out there that outline specific things that must be done during installation and construction to ensure the safety of yourself and others, as well as the house.
I'd consider this a good thing that you got caught, especially if you ever plan to sell your house. I'd hate to be in your shoes explaining to the local inspector why you have a finished basement w/ no permit, and then having to explain to the potential buyers that you'll have to tear the basement up for it to be inspected... I have heard of those in my area having a lot of trouble selling their homes when they have finished their basements w/out a permit
Without the inspections my insurance is useless and the future value of my home is suspect if I don't have permits for my work. I also had significant engineering and structural work done so it gave me peace of mind to know that another set of experienced eyes were looking at my contractor's work. Keeps the contractors honest too.
from
http://www.holmesonhomes.com/index.cfm? ... ll&tipID=6If you've ever had work done on your home, you know that many jobs can be done quickly and inexpensively without the need for a permit from the government. Some renovations on the other hand require a permit by law and are a good idea to make sure the work is done right. A lot of homeowners will just trust the contractor when he says a permit is not required as it is assumed that they are the experts.
In my experience, work serious enough to require a contract, that also has no building permit, well that's the first indication of likely shoddy work.
Plumbing - When moving a plumbing fixture to a new location or installing a new one, you need to get a plumbing permit. Just like electrical, plumbing is a complicated process, requiring proper ventilation and sealed joints. (e.g. installing a toilet or shower requires a drain vent out the roof).
Structural - I see it all the time. People doing their own home renovations and making a mess of their own homes. It's common for someone to tear down a wall to add more space to a family room, only to find out when the wall is all but demolished, that it's a load-bearing wall and is required by law to maintain the house's structural integrity. Any time you take down or put up a new wall, you need a permit. In the episode "Botched Basement" we meet home owners Geoff and Lorraine who paid a contractor to lower their basement by a foot. The contractor didn't obtain a permit and because of that, was able to get away with doing shoddy work. After their basement started to leak two weeks after the job was finished, they called me and I came in to fix the problem. Make sure your contractor gets a structural permit if they are doing any building or demolition.
HVAC - Another problem I run into often is contractors who are good at one job or another but still try to be a jack-of-all-trades. They might attempt to install heating or air conditioning and really don't know what they're doing. It is critical that your contractor gets an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) permit if they are relocating or adding new duct work. Protect yourself. Ask to see your sub-contractor's valid license before work begins. (e.g. My house the HVAC guys moved the natural gas line, and the notch they cut into two 2x8 joists was 4"x4" deep).
If you are unsure about whether you need a permit, call your local permit office. Getting a permit ensures that the work is done to the proper building codes and is safe for you and your family. Think of it as a second opinion on one of the biggest investments you'll make. Your home.
As an electrician, I have to deal with permits and inspections all the time, including the "does-this-job-require-a-permit?" debate. While it can be a pain, I stlll appreciate the process.
Whether done by pro or homeowner, the work the specialty trades do (electric, HVAC, plumbing, framing, etc.) can have dire costs when done improperly, in both human safety and potential loss-of-property.
The permit process can save countless hours and dollars by catching errors in the planning stage, in both methods and materials, before the work is done and, perhaps, redone (a real pain!).
The point is that, while the professional is legally responsible for his work and consequences, the homeowner often has to be protected from himself. As in most areas, homeowners may do their own work.
The permit application is a revenue source, sure, but it also can stop dangerous work from even beginning. Plans can be a pain to produce, but they force one to plan out the details.
Around these parts, as in most areas, the permit fee includes the inspection costs. No permit, no inspection, no chance to stop shoddy and potentially dangerous work, and no legal recourse.
On more than one occasion, I've stopped someone from burning down their own, or a friend's or relative's house. A recent one was a guy who was going to run a range circuit using #12 (because it's cheaper than #6).
It's true that inspectors often assume the pro will do work the amateur might overlook. It's not unfair, it's reasonable. How many homeowners know about, say, box fill, or grounding requirements, or . . .
I've had an inspector look at a breaker panel I made up, and passed the entire house, even before he knew I was licensed (my ex father-in-law's gutted and rebuilt house - he pulled the permits)
I've also had inspectors check every single box for everything, actually measure cable stapling spacing, etc., even after knowing I was licensed. There's no one rule (so to speak), and every inspector has his own way.
For the most part, I'm on a first-name basis with almost half of the inspectors in my area, as well as the two main head inspectors (city and county). They'll check a few main things, like grounding, etc., but they know my work.
Overall, I like the process more than I hate it, because either the homeowner has to be protected from himself, or he has to be protected from the professional. In either case, it's nothing personal (unless you piss him off!)
Oh, one other thing; it's not workmanship (in the asthetic sense) that the inspector cares about, it's the safety factor. It's up to the customer to insist that fit and finish be done to his standards. Be assertive; it's your money!
The inspector is a second opinion, and the right opinion, rather than the contractor's.
The last good thing about permits is if the previous owner of your house was a DIYer, wouldn't it be nice to know that someone checked the idiot's work? Isn't that better than having a fire or collapse or polutants slowly or quickly kill or maim you and yours? The first few idiot electrical examples I've heard done that I can think of are no grounds, double ground rods, using the ground wire as the opposite 120V phase for a 240V wire, connecting both ends of a wire to different breakers in the same panel, etc.
"The applicant, their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns will indemnify and save harmless the Town of Oakville from any claim, action, damage or loss whatsoever, arising from operations carried out under this permit."
BTW, if you intend not to get a permit, make sure you get your home depot deliveries on a weekend when the inspectors aren't driving around.
Noah's Ark 2005:
In the year 2005, The Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in United
States, and said,
"Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated and I see
the end of all flesh before me.
Build another Ark and save two of every living thing along with a few
good humans."
He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have six months to build the
Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights".
Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard,
but no ark.
"Noah", He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"
"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah. "But things have changed. I needed a
building permit. I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a
sprinkler system.
My neighbors claim that I've violated the neighborhood Home Owner's
Association zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height
limitations.
We had to go to the Planning and Zoning Board for a decision.
Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the
future costs of moving power, overpasses and other overhead obstructions, to
clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea.
I argued that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing
of it.
Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local
trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists
that I needed the wood to save the owls. But no go!
When I started gathering the animals, I got sued by an animal rights
group. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will.
As well, they argued the accommodation was too restrictive and it was
cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.
Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted
an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.
I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Civil Rights Commission
on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew.
Also, the trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to
hire only Union workers with Ark building experience.
To make matters worse, the Customs and Immigration Agency seized all my
assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered
species.
So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least ten years for me to
finish this Ark."
Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow
stretched across the sky.
Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to
destroy the world?".
"No", said the Lord. "The Government has beat me to it."
The odds of doing it ALL right yourself (structural, plumbing, insulation, electrical) are about 30%.
The odds of having a contractor do it ALL right are about 50%.
The odds of it being right if an inspector also checks it are about 95%, not just because the contractor works harder knowing it'll be inspected.
An inspector is a second opinion, and a very experienced and trained second opinion.
I recently had my roof reshingled. According to the city a permit is not required. I hired a roof inspection company anyway. This somewhat insulted my roofer, at least until he saw the report with pictures. Of the eight items mentioned in the report, the one that most comes to mind is what the roofer said with his head bowed low on the way out, "I can't believe we missed a shingle and left bare wood on your roof." That inspection cost me $400, which is excessive for an inspection IMO, but my goodness what money it certainly saved. I treated the inspector's report as an opinion, and the roofer's as another opinion -- where the roofer and the inspector agreed (which was most of the items) the roofer did the repairs the next day, one item there was nothing we could do anything about without replacing all the shingles, and the other two the roofer strongly disagreed with the inspector citing multiple reasons which sounded good to me.
) that we all need to take seriously.