Permits
Occasionally a homeowner will alter the construction of his or her home and disregard the need for the necessary building permit. Sometimes the contractor that they hire will, for one reason or another, fail to obtain the required building permit. Actually, most work is regulated by the international codes which are adopted by the State of Utah, as well as most municipalities in the State.
Why should I bother to pull a building permit? It is just another way for the government to take our money. My neighbor never bought a building permit. I know what I am doing. My contractor has been in business for twenty years. The building inspector will make unreasonable demands that will drive up the cost of my project. There is no harm in what I am doing. If I get caught then I will pay their silly fees.
All of the above are comments for not obtaining the proper building permits. On the surface, most seem like valid excuses. But sometimes the end result can be 100 times more expensive or more tragic than the rather inexpensive building permit. Let me try to show some examples for potential problems.
Mr. Wilson decided to install a new wood burning stove in his house to help to reduce heating costs. He did this installation himself, without a building permit. He was given some verbal instructions from the sales person to help him with the installation of his new wood stove. After a few weeks of use, his house caught fire because of improper installation. For a $22.00 building permit Mr. Wilson wood have been told minimum clearances required for wood stove and piping to combustible surfaces. He also would have been given methods to reduce these clearances if needed. In addition an inspector would have inspected and approved the installation. Since Mr. Wilson failed to obtain the proper permit and get the proper inspections, his insurance company would not cover the fire damage.
Mrs. Smith hired a friend of a friend to finish her basement. Although the fellow was not a licensed contractor, he had a good reputation as a handyman, and his bid was quite reasonable. The “handyman” removed some 2x4 studs from a basement bearing wall. He supported the new opening with a beam, which he sized personally with a long standing “rule of thumb” method. The three foot door opening was now a ten foot wide opening, making one large room from two small rooms. The finished basement turned out well, so Mrs. Smith paid him in full. However, after about a month Mrs. Smith noticed that the new ten foot beam seemed to be sagging. It had developed a 1” dip in the middle of the span. The “handy man” just passed it off saying that the house was just settling. This was not only a point of embarrassment for Mrs. Smith, but a nagging concern. The beam seemed to sag a little more each month. Would the beam eventually fail? In addition it caused the sheetrock to crack on both floor levels, and made doors in the area of the new beam difficult to close. When Mrs. Smith decided to sell the home, a promising buyer insisted on evidence of a building permit before completing the sale. For the cost of a $100.00 building permit, Mrs. Smith would not have had structural problems. She would also have been able to sell the house to the promising buyer and would not have future problems with her insurance company.
Mr. Jones decided to build a new garage along side of his home. He designed the building himself. He worked on his dream project on weekend to avoid detection. When it was almost complete, a neighbor complained to the local building inspections department. Mr. Jones received a STOP WORK ORDER, and then attempted to obtain a building permit after the building was almost complete. An investigation revealed that Mr. Jones had built the roof trusses himself, rather than buying factory built, engineered truss. Now the only way to approve the roof system is to hire an independent structural engineer. The licensed engineer must make a site visit and tell Mr. Jones and the building inspector how to make these home made trusses work. At the very least Mr. Jones will be looking at some modifications to his trusses and some very expensive engineering fees. In addition, further investigation revealed that the garage was located where it is prohibited. After 6 months of hearing Mr. Jones must relocate his garage 6’ behind his house. Finally, the $175.00 building permit fee that Mr. Jones had hoped to avoid has now been doubled to cover the investigation costs of a building without a permit.
What Do You Get For the Cost of a Building Permit
- Structural review of your plan.
- Plan review for fire hazards.
- Site approval for your new structure.
- Construction advice from the exports.
- Field inspections of work in progress.
- Documentation and approval for your records.
- Peace of mind.
Contrary to what you might have heard, the permit process is usually fast and simple. Professional, licensed inspectors do more than regulate. They will answer your questions about your project. Their inspections should find any potential problems. In most cases, the inspector will give you a number of options for meeting codes or solving construction problems.
For everything from furnace replacement to additions, take advantage of your Building Inspection Department. It costs less in the long run.