What a permit does for you

Many think of Permit fees as “another tax”.  However, you are being provided a valuable service to protect yourself and your investment.

When a Permit is being processed, the City confirms existence of:

• Current state contractor’s license
• City business license
• Liability insurance
• Bonding
• Workman’s compensation insurance

If you are adding a new component such as air conditioning, the building official will review requirements specific to your installation and provide an approved plan and/or guidelines that meet current code requirements.

After the permit is issued and work performed, a trained official will visit the site and inspect the work.  He will be checking all aspects of the installation, checking for safety and code compliance.  If a discrepancy is noted, the contractor is required to correct and have the work re-inspected.

What could happen if a permit is not pulled?

1. If a field inspector drives by a project in the works he is allowed to stop and check for proper documentation.  If the job is not permitted, the job will be shut down until a permit can be obtained.  By state law, they can, at their discretion, “double fee” the permit.  In other words, the $200 permit now costs $400.
    
2. The work being conducted could be subpar and not to code.  You could be left with a surprise when you sell your house – spending money to correct the installation already paid for - since the contractor is no longer around or won’t return your phone calls.
    
3. A workman injured on your property could place a claim on your homeowners insurance if not properly covered by workman’s compensation.
    
4. Insurance companies could refuse coverage if a fire or damage was caused by unpermitted work.