Occasionally, a prospective client will tell me know that he doesn’t intend to obtain building permits for his remodeling project. This is not a good idea and the homeowner may be putting himself and his home at risk by doing so. In this article, I will address this situation and explain why it is in the best interest of the homeowner to insist on investing the time and money up front, to obtain permits for any home remodeling project.
Did you know that it is against state law to do a project that requires a permit without one?
According to the California Building Standards Code, no building or structure may be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, converted or demolished unless a separate permit for each building or structure has first been obtained from the building official.
If a contractor is caught doing work on the site without a permit, this will put the contractor’s license in jeopardy, and he will incur serious fines from the Contractor’s State Licensing Board (cslb.ca.gov). Building inspectors drive all over the city all the time. If there is a project nearby getting inspections and they happen to see work going on, they are perfectly within their legal rights to enter the premises and demand to see the permit.
According to Doug Stead, Executive Director at the CCIDC, Inc. (The California Council for Interior Design Certification),
“The homeowner will then have to go through the permit process anyway and pay double fees as a penalty.
The work already done will have to be undone and started all over again so the inspection process can take place at each phase. The city will not know if the work has been done to code without opening it all up. (Tearing the walls, floors, and ceilings apart.)
The homeowner, and the contractor’s costs will go through the roof if this happens, and extra delays will occur as a result.”
Now, consider the safety aspect for a moment. A kitchen remodel for example, will have electrical, plumbing and other technical work done that could cause problems down the road if not done according to code. Electrical work not done properly could cause a fire.
The insurance company would demand to see the permit in order to verify the inspections, and without one would not cover the claim.
Always hire a contractor who is licensed and bonded. Go online to www.cslb.ca.gov to verify a contractor’s license before hiring him. Only licensed contractors can be listed on a permit regardless of who pulls it, and they must provide proof of Workers Comp insurance.
If an unlicensed contractor is used without proper insurance and one of the workers gets injured, then the homeowner will be liable for all of that worker’s medical expenses, which could– depending upon the severity of the injuries, cost more than the project itself.
So I ask you, is it really worth it?
For the sake of your own personal safety and the expense that you may incur, wouldn’t you rather take the time and do it right?
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