Inspections and Permits cost more than the job itself!!

[Black92LX]

Holy Crap!!!
So I am slowly building a home gym in my UNFINISHED basement.
So I needed some more outlets.
So I got my electrical permit $10.
Went and bought some 14-2 wire $40
10 pack contractor pack of outlets $12.
Well today was the rough in inspection $45
And he tells me I have to have another once I put on the outlets another $45.

Are you kidding me??
I am doing $52 job and it costs me $100 in permits and inspections!!!

Outrageous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[k062693w]

Why did you let them know in the first place ???

[djom1cincy]

Raped. I'm thinking about having my deck replaced and was thinking about the permits just the other day. Just a way off taking your money. I may try and do it without permits.

[ffmueller81]

yep, that's why you do it without permits and play dumb... much easier and cheaper.

[mean5.0]

Yea i wouldnt have worried about the permits for something that small.

[Black92LX]

Cheaper and easier until you try to sell the house and have to fill out that little disclosure form.

[k062693w]

Raped. I'm thinking about having my deck replaced and was thinking about the permits just the other day. Just a way off taking your money. I may try and do it without permits.


yep, that's why you do it without permits and play dumb... much easier and cheaper.

The failsafe way to get away with a deck is Do Not attach it to your house !!!
I've built 4 decks that way over the years ... My Dad still has his building permit from 34 years ago, And has never had a final inspection !!! LOL
He says when you build a home, You are never done ... And it makes sense to me !!!

[thecollector]

The failsafe way to get away with a deck is Do Not attach it to your house !!!
I've built 4 decks that way over the years ... My Dad still has his building permit from 34 years ago, And has never had a final inspection !!! LOL
He says when you build a home, You are never done ... And it makes sense to me !!!

It depends on where you live. In most areas living in a house without a final inspection isn't a problem until you go to sell and have no Certificate of Occupancy issued. Then you can't sell/ new owners can't live in until the inspections are complete and if the inspector wants to be a dick (which many are) expect to be tearing out and rehanging some drywall so visual checks can be made. Also at this time the house would have to be updated to current code. If you had the final inspection passed a few years ago it would be grandfathered in. Get ready to hardwire new smoke detectors (among other things) with battery backups and start jumping thru hoops you could have avoided 5 years ago.

I just went thru this with a purchase contract on an investment property in Forest Park. They tried to keep my earnest money however the house was presented as FHA insurable and they breached the contract with a false product. I didn't realize until my inspections that the house had been repaired following a fire a couple years ago. After some research I realized the house would need close to $50k to bring it to code so I could get a CO issued and have it livable, Even though it had no outstanding deficiencies on the walkthru.

For Black92Lx's wiring I would have blown it off. I had a 200amp service dropped in the garage and did the rest myself from their. I got the service with a permit. The rest was "freestyle." Technically (in Ohio at least) you are supposed to have a permit for a deck weather it is freestanding or anchored at the house but most decks are out of sight out of mind. I'd just keep my materials in the garage:cool2:.

[DeckerEnt]

Just think if you would have had it done by an electrician. The cost of the permits would be nothing compared to the labor!!!

[zippy94]

I am in the Biz, So do your self a favor and do it with inspections, So one, It meets code, And two your not liable< If it burns down or some one gets Hurt, I Have seen some HACK jobs out there.

[94cobra2615]

No inspections out here :flipoff:

I helped my brother in law build a deck in hamilton county last year and it was a joke with all the inspections, prints, and permits. The money that was paid for all that crap was unbelievable. Not to mention all the time that was wasted waiting on prints, approvals, inspections.

He said he would NEVER do another job there.

[Lexstang]

the permits would be a pain but imagine the pain if it burned and the insurance wouldn't pay off. I would hazard a guess that it would be difficult if not impossible to say the household wiring started a fire, vs the cord on an appliance in it.

[Black92LX]

the permits would be a pain but imagine the pain if it burned and the insurance wouldn't pay off. I would hazard a guess that it would be difficult if not impossible to say the household wiring started a fire, vs the cord on an appliance in it.

I have no qualms with having to get it inspected by any means. The qualm is $45 and the guy was here for less than 5 minutes and I still have to get a second.

[cstreu1026]

I feel your pain. We are getting ready to finish our basement and all the inspections are going to be a hassle. Hell it's even a hassle to find out what the building code requirements are. At least Greene County has a plan review waiver for finishing a lower level.