Inspection, building permits and Home Owner's Insurance

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kenstogie

kenstogie

Feeling the Heat
Oct 2, 2012
463
Albany (ish)
So I am installing my new (to me) pellet stove (25 pvdc) and was wondering...

Do I need to get a building permit so that they can inpect it later on?

Do I need to get it inspected so that my insurance is still in effect?

If so by who the town?
My main concern is that my insurance it in effect, to be frank I really don't give a rat's @$# $ about giving the town more of my money in fact I'd rather not, they get enough of it now :)
 
I inquired at the building inspector's office and they inspected both the hearth and the stove install and required 2 permits specifying exactly how I was going to build the hearth. They required I have stove manual present when it was inspected and they used that as the standard for the stove and hearth installation. I sent a copy of the permit signed off to the insurance and no problems encountered..

Ray
 
That's local question for the permit. My city doesn't care.

All I did was call the insurance company and tell them I had a pellet stove. They said ok and that's it.
 
Contact your insurance company and ask them. Although I did pull permits with my town, my insurance company did not require me to do so. They just wanted it installed to manufacturers specifications. Every insurance company and state are different.
 
I think its 2 separate issues - the town may fine you later if they find out (a nosy neighbor??) you installed it without their "approval" and inspection. I think they could be real pr*cks and make you remove it if they want to. Why take the chance, get the permit and have them inspect it to cya.

The town probably doesn't care whether your insurance company needs to know... and your insurance company probably isn't worried about your town either. But if you have it inspected and the house burns down at least you can show the insurance company proof that a government inspector approved the installation as being up to code.
 
My town requires a fuel storage permit for each heating device that is permanently installed. The fee is based on the cost of the installed device and the building inspector verifies that the installation meets code. My insurance company insists on the inspection where applicable and also wanted a picture of the installed stove.
 
That makes sense Harvey as in this town which is a small town they require a permit for any stove change. Each stove has its' own install requirements.. Better safe than sorry is my opinion..

Ray
 
Jack22 said:
Contact your insurance company and ask them. Although I did pull permits with my town, my insurance company did not require me to do so. They just wanted it installed to manufacturers specifications. Every insurance company and state are different.
Click to expand...
Jack for peace of mind I wanted to be sure I met all requirements particularly with the hearth build which I exceeded. I didn't want any issues if something were to happen plus everyone in my house sleep better knowing I did all the right things..I feel you and I used the right approach doing what we did..

Ray
 
Mike D said:
I think its 2 separate issues - the town may fine you later if they find out (a nosy neighbor??) you installed it without their "approval" and inspection. I think they could be real pr*cks and make you remove it if they want to. Why take the chance, get the permit and have them inspect it to cya.

The town probably doesn't care whether your insurance company needs to know... and your insurance company probably isn't worried about your town either. But if you have it inspected and the house burns down at least you can show the insurance company proof that a government inspector approved the installation as being up to code.
Click to expand...

agreed. I would get it inspected. Better safe than sorry. When you go for the building permit, if you do, the application will ask for cost. Put what it cost you for installation. I put $600 for mine and my city charged me $25. My parents put $5000, the total cost of the stove and install and the city whacked them $175.

My stove was actually installed wrong when the city came out. they just checked my clearences and never asked to fire the stove up. 2 minutes tops. $25 is well worth the piece of mind.
 
Buc White said:
agreed. I would get it inspected. Better safe than sorry. When you go for the building permit, if you do, the application will ask for cost. Put what it cost you for installation. I put $600 for mine and my city charged me $25. My parents put $5000, the total cost of the stove and install and the city whacked them $175.

My stove was actually installed wrong when the city came out. they just checked my clearences and never asked to fire the stove up. 2 minutes tops. $25 is well worth the piece of mind.
Click to expand...
My town explicitly forbids running the stove until AFTER it is inspected..

Ray
 
I had no issues with my insurance company and they didnt even up my premium. They didnt ask any questions at all. Not even when it was installed or who intalled it. This is in PA with travelers insurance.
 
No effect on insurance here either..

Ray
 
here is an interesting one, my insurance went up this year, so I checked another carrier
I told them of the pellet stove in my basement, they said great but do you have another
heating source in basement, I said no, and then they said no to insurance
go figure insurance companies
 
I had to get an application for a solid fuel permit. Then once the pellet furnace was installed, the building inspector stopped by, took a look and issued my solid fuel permit. I called my insurance agent and told them. They sent a person over to look at the install. This year, my insurance premium went DOWN.!
 
We did not need a permit. called the insurance agent and he knew we were installing it ourselves. He emailed a form to fill out with clearances required by manual and what our actual clearances were after install, stove safety features etc. insurance only went up $50 a year.
 
bbone said:
here is an interesting one, my insurance went up this year, so I checked another carrier
I told them of the pellet stove in my basement, they said great but do you have another
heating source in basement, I said no, and then they said no to insurance
go figure insurance companies
Click to expand...
I guess they never heard of electric baseboard heat that wouldn't be in the basement. Geesh!
 
Eeek! It never even occurred to me to ask the town for a building permit since I wasn't 'building' anything. I did have the fire dept come inspect the installation and issue a letter for the insurance company. All he asked for was the manufacturer manual so I assume a permit was not required.

So far no negative response from the ins. co
 
Permitting is usually a local jurisdiction issue as is the actual code they follow.

The insurance company can refuse to carry you even if you install to code, the manual, pulled a permit, and it passed inspection by the CEO and/or the Fire Department. Their underwriters have the say as to whether or not they will carry you.
 
bbone said:
here is an interesting one, my insurance went up this year, so I checked another carrier
I told them of the pellet stove in my basement, they said great but do you have another
heating source in basement, I said no, and then they said no to insurance
go figure insurance companies
Click to expand...

Fairly common actually.
 
Melissa220 said:
All he asked for was the manufacturer manual so I assume a permit was not required.
Click to expand...
Actually, that is what our building inspector did. He checked that the flue met the local code, the flue pipe installation requirements and the stove installation requirements. His only concern seemed to be safe clearances to combustible surfaces. The fee was 3% of the cost of the installed stove for the inspection and fuel permit.
 
I have thought about this in the past, but never researched it. I just looked through my Town's code and I found nothing regarding fireplaces and such. I should give them a call just in case.

Bill
 
Bill this is the approach people should be using. The idea is to find out if you need to pull permits etc. If you don't need anything that's great but if you do then do the right thing and get it inspected whatever the town/city requires. If the town requires it then your insurance company could balk if something were to happen. I scanned and emailed the signed off permits to my insurance company for their records so no surprises if an issue ever arose.. I also decided to pay to have my chimney inspected annually by a CSIA certified sweep for piece of mind to reduce the chance of having a safety hazard go unnoticed.

Ray
 
Thanks Ray, I will call the town today to see. I searched their online codes and nothing found.

Bill
 
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