Owner Responsibility for a Permit?

[Kevin1024]

My installer told me that it is my responsibility to get a permit from my town and that he doesn't get involved with them. Is this normally true? I've never seen a permit but will it want his company information on it?

 

[Harmanizer]

My installer contacted the building inspector in my town and pulled the permit.Your installer is lazy.

 

[jackhammer]

I pulled and paid for my permit, around $60, and yes, the building inspector wanted to know the name and maybe more about the installer. I live in a small town so the inspector was familiar with the installer. No problem for me. Maybe about the fee and time it takes to get the permit. Some contractors include permits in the price.

 

[Bioburner]

A tip I got was that if you get the permit you are the responsible party if something goes wrong. Not the contractor. Now that can change from state to state etc.

 

[FirepotPete]

A tip I got was that if you get the permit you are the responsible party if something goes wrong. Not the contractor. Now that can change from state to state etc.

That is exactly why some contractors try and get the owner to pull the permit. In most places the person pulling the permit has all responsibility going forward. If the contractor doesn't want to pull it then they don't need the work bad enough. I'd stay away from that one.

 

[Peterfield]

Which ever way it goes, definitely get the permit. That will be the first question your insurance company asks when you file a claim.

 

[peakbagger]

Strange, you are hiring a professional and he is not willing to pull a permit? It sure sounds fishy to me. If it was zoning issue I could see it but its like an electrician not willing to pull a permit for his wiring work.

 

[womaus]

May be best to contact your local building code office and ask what is their protocol on this. There may be a reason the installer does not like to deal with the department?

 

[womaus]

Which ever way it goes, definitely get the permit. That will be the first question your insurance company asks when you file a claim.

And yes, what Peterfield says. You need this. And be sure to ask the insurance company for the paperwork they may need you to fill out (I found out my own insurance company did not get the proper paperwork to me at the proper time).

 

[Pete Zahria]

The town just wants you to get a permit.
It doesn't matter who gets it.
I would rather get it myself.
It is only costing me a trip to the town hall.
I'm not paying someone to do it for me.
I don't blame the contractor for not wanting to fart around at town hall.
It's not like a drive up window.
It can be like renewing your plates at the DMV....

 

[FirepotPete]

It doesn't matter who gets it.

Sorry, but it does matter.

I would rather get it myself.

Me too, until this happened to me.

Five years ago I had my entire driveway repaved, concrete. I hired a couple of young guys that had been in business for around eight years, small outfit, came with good referrals, at least the ones I could find at the time.

They kept putting off my project, nothing serious but with fall coming I wanted it done. I called one day on a Wednesday, they said they would start on the following Monday. Opps, no permit pulled, could I go get it because they were working out of town and wouldn't be able to do it. Ok, let's get this moving, I go down and pull the permit. Entire driveway, city sidewalk and apron at the road, all on the permit.

Job is finished the next week as promised, looks great. About one month later I notice the sidewalk portion is chipping, pitting and washing away with rain. The sidewalk and apron were from the same pour, the apron was fine, weird.

I call the guys that did the job. They shrugged their shoulders and said nothing they could do about it. I called the city, they came and looked and said "yup, the sidewalk has to be redone." They asked who did it, I told them, then they asked for the permit. I showed it to them. I was then told it was MY responsibility as my name was on the permit. If the contractor had pulled the permit the city would have gone after them to fix it.

I called an attorney friend, same answer as the city gave me. NEVER, NEVER pull a permit unless you are willing to stand by the work as if you did it yourself.

It cost me an addition $1500 to fix a twenty foot sidewalk as the city gave me 30 days to do it. I couldn't find anyone in that time frame so the city came and did it and that was their charge for it.

 

[adayrider]

Sorry, but it does matter.



Me too, until this happened to me.

Five years ago I had my entire driveway repaved, concrete. I hired a couple of young guys that had been in business for around eight years, small outfit, came with good referrals, at least the ones I could find at the time.

They kept putting off my project, nothing serious but with fall coming I wanted it done. I called one day on a Wednesday, they said they would start on the following Monday. Opps, no permit pulled, could I go get it because they were working out of town and wouldn't be able to do it. Ok, let's get this moving, I go down and pull the permit. Entire driveway, city sidewalk and apron at the road, all on the permit.

Job is finished the next week as promised, looks great. About one month later I notice the sidewalk portion is chipping, pitting and washing away with rain. The sidewalk and apron were from the same pour, the apron was fine, weird.

I call the guys that did the job. They shrugged their shoulders and said nothing they could do about it. I called the city, they came and looked and said "yup, the sidewalk has to be redone." They asked who did it, I told them, then they asked for the permit. I showed it to them. I was then told it was MY responsibility as my name was on the permit. If the contractor had pulled the permit the city would have gone after them to fix it.

I called an attorney friend, same answer as the city gave me. NEVER, NEVER pull a permit unless you are willing to stand by the work as if you did it yourself.

It cost me an addition $1500 to fix a twenty foot sidewalk as the city gave me 30 days to do it. I couldn't find anyone in that time frame so the city came and did it and that was their charge for it.

So you call the city on yourself ? What did you think they was going to do about it? Well except what they did do.

 

[FirepotPete]

So you call the city on yourself ? What did you think they was going to do about it? Well except what they did do.

The sidewalk was so bad they were going to show up anyway and I was concerned about liability with how bad it was. Ya, normally I don't call them for anything but I really had no choice and was hoping that with their licensing of the contractors something would be able to be done to fix it.

 

[womaus]

The sidewalk was so bad they were going to show up anyway and I was concerned about liability with how bad it was. Ya, normally I don't call them for anything but I really had no choice and was hoping that with their licensing of the contractors something would be able to be done to fix it.

That would have been a slam dunk had you taken them to Small Claims Court if you had the needed backup documentation (emails to schedule the job, pics of the men / trucks while the work progressed, payment in full receipt and the inspectors report). Still a pain in the butt for all of the time and energy that would be involved...but you could have made their lives a bit miserable also in the process.

But back to pellet stoves...

Get an installer that will pull the permit and be there when they sign off on the installation. The insurance company will have no recourse if there ever is a problem.

I did my own install, pulled the permit prior, had the inspector there a week later. No issues getting it approved, and it appeased my insurance company. No increase in premium.

Would you have a new gas furnace installed without getting a permit pulled?

 

[stovelark]

I'm with most people- the installer should have offered to do it, if it was taking some of his time, he should have billed you a bit more. Glad you did the right thing and got one. I would avoid this person in the future.

 

[Pete Zahria]

Sorry, but it does matter.

I said it doesn't matter, meaning either of you can do it.
No one says you cannot do it.