Pulling permits for a basement renovation? Got the permit - work has begun

[daveswoodhauler]

Well, going to march my ass back down to the building department today and find out what the issue is. Will post back later on today.
I am ok with not pulling a permit for the electrical, as my electrician does everything to code, and I am not worried about that issue.
My wife on the other hand has different idea's, so they onlt way its going to happen is if its done legit with all permits pulled.....maybe if I just go down there 3 times a week they will get sick of me

 

[fbelec]

I would only pull a permit for a large or very visible project . The small amount of work in the basement build out does not warrant an permit just make sure it's done to code and you will have no problems with a future sale or inspection.

ditto

 

[Chad S.]

I would only pull a permit for a large or very visible project . The small amount of work in the basement build out does not warrant an permit just make sure it's done to code and you will have no problems with a future sale or inspection.

ditto

When I sold my first home I had done a ton of work to it w/o permits and lived in town. The buyers said I needed to get this and that inspected and TRYED to make my life hell. I simly countered their with my offer as "Take it or Leave it". Two months later, they took it.

 

[dobie daddy]

I would only pull a permit for a large or very visible project . The small amount of work in the basement build out does not warrant an permit just make sure it's done to code and you will have no problems with a future sale or inspection.

ditto

yep.

 

[timfromohio]

Just another form of taxation. I understand having standards from a safety standpoint. But I think it's gotten way out of hand. There is a township close to me in which you need to get a permit to change out a hot water heater. That is ridiculous.

 

[Highbeam]

It's also very common. The water heater thing. You wouldn't want some schmuck doing it wrong and gassing you out or blowing the house up.

What burns me is the permits for building a fence on your own property. Things that obviously would not endanger anyone.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

It's also very common. The water heater thing. You wouldn't want some schmuck doing it wrong and gassing you out or blowing the house up.

What burns me is the permits for building a fence on your own property. Things that obviously would not endanger anyone.

Or a permit for framing in a non structural/non load bearig wall

 

[burnham]

(here) Have a dumpster in your yard? Need a permit. Replacing your roof or windows? Need a permit. It's crazy. Is any inspector going to get up on my roof and inspect it? Some of the shittiest work I've have even seen was done by a building inspector who lives in the town I work for. The guy has a rep. for being a hack, so the next town over makes him building inspector. I can see why people give up on this system.

 

[PJF1313]

It's also very common. The water heater thing. You wouldn't want some schmuck doing it wrong and gassing you out or blowing the house up.

What burns me is the permits for building a fence on your own property. Things that obviously would not endanger anyone.

Or a permit for framing in a non structural/non load bearig wall

Even worse - REPLACEMENT windows ???

Last house, in an unfortunately Inc. Village, had Sears (a whole 'nother can of worms) replace about a dozen windows.

We, wife and I, researched the house back to it's build date (1909) for photos and such. We copied/scanned pictures from the "old-time" neighbors, some of the owners grand-parents where the original owners, from the time it was a dirt road and the Lace Mill was the second biggest employer - fishing was the first. We had the windows custom made with a 2-over-2 configuration; like the '09 originals; true divided lite, to replace the '70's retrofit that leaked like a sieve.

The town had no problems with it, the "village" was the problem - no permit!?!? WTF! - It already cost us 150 for the town permit, now the village wants another $200! Now, on top of nearly 2k for windows, the permits where another 350... just to get rid of SOME of the drafts. (The windows where installed on the second floor - the first floor still had some '70s replacements, and some '60's "updated" double-hungs)

Fortunately, we moved a few years ago about 10 miles east. No more "village" taxes ontop of our regular taxes - no more of their hoops to jump through, etc. - but still in the same town.

Sorry about the rant - Please "Ash Can" this if it's worthy....

 

[keep-in warm]

I thought windows and a non-load walls were both silly, until the city busted be for not pulling a permit for replacing an asphalt driveway. Its all about taxes and very little to do with safety.

 

[billb3]

To build a garage I had to have my septic sytem emptied and inspected.
$150.00 for the honey wagon sucker and $45.00 for the town "inspection".
"Inspector" never got his fat a$$ off his chair. Rubber stamped the copy of the pumping fee reciept, so I could go on to the next permit application.
Septic is 200 feet from the garage and no connections to it.


Had to have 'Safedig' proof, too.

Have to have XXX GAScompany sign off as safe.
XXX GAScompany doesn't have any gas lines on my street.
Doesn't matter - but they can sign off that digging in my back yard won't hit thier gas lines . (Because they don;t have any there, but that doesn't have to mentioned)

Do you think I have to have XXYGAS company sign off for safe to dig ?
Who DOES have gas lines on my street and area ?
Nope.

Idiots.
$112,000.00 salary.

 

[fbelec]

agreed on the stupid permits. if you think that's bad, get caught doing work without a permit and the fee for the permit triples. i don't know about other contractors, but electricians that don't pull permits and get caught and if put in front of the board of electricians might get their license taken away. pulling a permit for replacement windows is dumb. unless that double hung is coming out and a large bow windows is going to be installed. lots of problems from guys doing things like that and think they know what their doing and don't. a partition wall in a basement is a dumb permit. wiring it could be a problem if you don't know the codes. doing the work and having the work torn down because it's not code is not only embarrassing but costly. i'm not saying pull permits for everything that you do, but if your doing the work yourself it might be a way of double checking your work so that nothing is done against code. i do work without permits sometimes because if i were to pull permits for small things the inspector would think i'm a pain it the _ _ _, and in the words of a inspector that did not have the time to come out for the small things " just do it to code". out here in mass. a permit is needed to do siding. you might think, siding, what a waste of time and money. before it was required to pull permits for siding these guys would come to side your house and when it came time to side by the electric meter the sider would stick his pry bar behind the meter and pry it off the house to stick their siding behind and when they did that the screws that were holding the meter onto the house got loose and hit the live wires and some blew the meter up, sometimes the screw would not blow up and keep the connection going and would melt the service cable that was on the house and start that on fire. and sometimes it wouldn't hurt the customers house or equipment but would blow up the transformer on the pole. so it sounds dumb to pull a electrical permit for a siding job, but it is to everyone's best interest. but the non bearing walls or closet or kitchen cabinets biggest waste of everybody time and money.

 

[seige101]

a permit is needed to do siding. you might think, siding, what a waste of time and money. before it was required to pull permits for siding these guys would come to side your house and when it came time to side by the electric meter the sider would stick his pry bar behind the meter and pry it off the house to stick their siding behind and when they did that the screws that were holding the meter onto the house got loose and hit the live wires and some blew the meter up, sometimes the screw would not blow up and keep the connection going and would melt the service cable that was on the house and start that on fire. and sometimes it wouldn't hurt the customers house or equipment but would blow up the transformer on the pole. so it sounds dumb to pull a electrical permit for a siding job, but it is to everyone's best interest. but the non bearing walls or closet or kitchen cabinets biggest waste of everybody time and money.

Never heard about pulling an electrical permit for a siding permit in mass. Though for the reasons you stated above i can agree. I have been to re attach many services after the siding guy has ripped them off the house. One one of those same jobs, the idiot siding guy though he could re-wire the spotlights by putting romex behind the siding.

Last but not least and deff my favorite. New house, new service going on, siding guy had sided that side already so we mounted our meter and ran the pipe out to the pole. Well he didn't think it looked good and took it upon himself to put the wire from the the meter to the house in an LB fitting. Well he skunned the insulation on the wire and we had to re pull the entire wire 4/0 SER about 75 feet across the garage ceiling and into the basement.

The boss sent him one hell of an expensive bill and basically told the guy to stick with siding.

/rant over

 

[billb3]

Ha, a friend pulled a permit to replace windows on his house. Did the front and sides but not the back. The permit expired in a year, but he decided the next Summer to just do the back, no one would notice. Neighbor or Town inspector noticed, he got a cease and desist letter from the Town. Got a permit again, plus the fine, but the Town assessor asked when he filled in the in ground pool - he never got a permit to do it.
Seems he never had a pool, nor a two car garage, but had been paying taxes on them for 25 years. No post-abatements. He still fumes if I bring it up.

 

[fbelec]

a permit is needed to do siding. you might think, siding, what a waste of time and money. before it was required to pull permits for siding these guys would come to side your house and when it came time to side by the electric meter the sider would stick his pry bar behind the meter and pry it off the house to stick their siding behind and when they did that the screws that were holding the meter onto the house got loose and hit the live wires and some blew the meter up, sometimes the screw would not blow up and keep the connection going and would melt the service cable that was on the house and start that on fire. and sometimes it wouldn't hurt the customers house or equipment but would blow up the transformer on the pole. so it sounds dumb to pull a electrical permit for a siding job, but it is to everyone's best interest. but the non bearing walls or closet or kitchen cabinets biggest waste of everybody time and money.

Never heard about pulling an electrical permit for a siding permit in mass. Though for the reasons you stated above i can agree. I have been to re attach many services after the siding guy has ripped them off the house. One one of those same jobs, the idiot siding guy though he could re-wire the spotlights by putting romex behind the siding.

Last but not least and deff my favorite. New house, new service going on, siding guy had sided that side already so we mounted our meter and ran the pipe out to the pole. Well he didn't think it looked good and took it upon himself to put the wire from the the meter to the house in an LB fitting. Well he skunned the insulation on the wire and we had to re pull the entire wire 4/0 SER about 75 feet across the garage ceiling and into the basement.

The boss sent him one hell of an expensive bill and basically told the guy to stick with siding.



/rant over

good one. that's what he gets for thinkin.

 

[billb3]

I've seen some neighbors get in some pretty nasty fights over fences.

A permit so everyone knows and understands the rules and keeps those fights out of Town Hall meetings kinda makes sense.

 

[TreePapa]

I personally ain't that happy that I'm required to pull a permit for anyting not "paint, paper, or plastic" ... but I'm sure glad my neighbors are!

Not that either I or my neighbors are in strict compliance with this ... but I try to stay as close to code as possible when doing (or hiring) work w/o permits. Some of my neighbors, not so much.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[doubledip]

In my neck of the woods, the city is adopting 2003 International building code. Whoo Hoo! HUH?? Which requires an egress on a basement remodel, the added expense can escalate cost by the thousands.

Most if not all older homes constructed with a hole in the ground were built moisture resistant and not actually waterproof. With that in mind the choice of materials used now may minimize grief later down the line. i.e. metal studs, paperless drywall in an effort to prevent mold growth incase water gets in. Owens Corning has a nice basement system but is pricey.

Its a crying shame that the owner of a property needs to ask permission of a tyrannical government body to improve their home.

In my opinion I would skip the permit but make sure the job is done right.

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Well, I had the building inspector come over on Thursday to show him what I wanted to so, and he answered all my questions and I think he was pretty pleased on what I was going to do from insulation/framing etc....thanks to folks here.
Before he left, I said "can you see anything down here that might present a problem, or I might have left out???, and he said "you should be fine, everything looks good"
Gave me a little piece of mind that I was at least doing things right.
Off to find a plumber than can now add an additional zone

 

[fbelec]

In my neck of the woods, the city is adopting 2003 International building code. Whoo Hoo! HUH?? Which requires an egress on a basement remodel, the added expense can escalate cost by the thousands.

Most if not all older homes constructed with a hole in the ground were built moisture resistant and not actually waterproof. With that in mind the choice of materials used now may minimize grief later down the line. i.e. metal studs, paperless drywall in an effort to prevent mold growth incase water gets in. Owens Corning has a nice basement system but is pricey.

Its a crying shame that the owner of a property needs to ask permission of a tyrannical government body to improve their home.

In my opinion I would skip the permit but make sure the job is done right.

i think and hope that code for 2nd exit is for tenant house or basement apartment. if not they a just inviting jobs without permits. if they want to enforce a code on new houses to be built with two doors that's fine, but they should have a old house grandfather law.

 

[Hogwildz]

F-ck inspectors, F-ck permits, & F-ck the government that is everything this country was started for/against.
I'm on pain killers, can ya tell? Hows my attitude?

 

[fbelec]

F-ck inspectors, F-ck permits, & F-ck the government that is everything this country was started for/against.
I'm on pain killers, can ya tell? Hows my attitude?

attitude is great. i think you should go to washington

 

[Hurricane]

We should figure out a way to make the government accountable for failures after inspection. That would make them think twice. If they inspect it then it fails the inspecting body is responsible for repairs. It just might make the number of inspections less and the inspectors pay attention more. When I had an addition electrical inspection done the inspector had the approved sticker filled out before he arrived. I have seen inspections pass that were clear safety violations, I guess it is who you know or pay.

 

[Highbeam]

You can be certain that just because a job was permitted and inspected is no guarantee that it was done to code. The inspectors are not responsible, it's revenue.

 

[NEDLAX]

I helped my brother install his wood stove earlier this year he is also renovating his basement its where the stove is. Its 90% framed and just started the electrical no permits just having a friend who is a electrician tie everything into the box. Issue is he hasnt had the stove inspected yet, do you think insurance guy would have a problem being that no permits were gotten for the basement and the stove. I didnt have to pull a permit for my stove.