showed up to do an estimate for a hot tub. There was obvious new work done to the basement. Homeowner says it was all inspected. Open the panel and 2-3 circuits pigtailed and put on one breaker, neutral and grounds terminated together etc. I tell the homeowner no way there was an electrical inspection. He hands me building a permit I do some research they passed a wood framing, a close-in, and got a 'final w/o U&O'. No electrical or plumbing. My question is should I do an estimate to fix the obvious problems including adding subpanel etc or should I just walk away and advise the HO to go after the previous contractor? Also I'm surprised they even got a final without to building inspector flagging the project for not having electrical and plumbing.
building final no electrical
- Thread starter mirage
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kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
You were called to do an estimate for a hot tub. Logic tells me if you estimate correcting those other problems you are not getting the job so I wouldn't put much effort into it, but make sure any figure you do submit covers anything you intend to do or suspect you will have to do, should you get the job for some reason.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
Give an estimate to do whatever the owner wants you to do. Get the job permitted and if the inspector finds violtaions that need correcting a small job can turn into a big job.
I did a basement kitchen but before we were through correcting all the un-permitted work that was found by the inspector it was close to $10K. The homeowner didn't care because they had bought cheap and knew there would be problems. Now everything is legal and no more problems.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Very important, make SURE your quote excludes all pre-existing electrical conditions. In nice bold type.
The last couple of posts shows what the 'dilemma' is. Do you just say the quote is A, do u say it's A+B, or do you take the time to explain that the hot tub is A but it will cost B to fix everything else because the last contractor didn't get a permit..blah blah blah...
It's like do you want the auto mechanic that sells you a new battery then says oh by the way your alternator is bad or the one who says I can give you a new batt. but it won't help until you fix your alternator. FYI I'm the latest 1 guy 1 truck electrical contractor on the block (about 6 months in) graduating from changing light bulbs and ceiling fans to 3k hot tubs...pray for me :blink:
It's like do you want the auto mechanic that sells you a new battery then says oh by the way your alternator is bad or the one who says I can give you a new batt. but it won't help until you fix your alternator. FYI I'm the latest 1 guy 1 truck electrical contractor on the block (about 6 months in) graduating from changing light bulbs and ceiling fans to 3k hot tubs...pray for me :blink:
mwm1752
Senior Member
- Location
- Aspen, Colo
Sounds like you may have run into a homeowner that did not disclose the full project to the building dept -- not all county/city enities do electrical or plumbing they are done by state employees -- when pulling the permit I would be precise on the work to be done -- depending on how bad the work is your choice to walk away he may aready have had other contractors not wanting to do work.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
If both building and electrical AHJ are part of same local governing body, this is probably not all that likely, unless it is one of those left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing type of local governments, chances are both those divisions operate under a single larger division and maybe even share some of the same support staff or other resources. I could see it when building permits are local government controlled and electrical permits are state government controlled.
That was puzzling because they are a part of the same local body. Homeowner got a framing, close-in inspection, and a final without U&O. I thought the inspectors talked to each other. When they got the wall closing, the building guy would have called the electrical and plumbing guys. But I guess the fact that they got the final without U&O was a way to flag the job-which didn't work- because homeowner has his theater room and mother-in-law Using and Occupying the space.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
First off , was there a general contractor involved with the basement finish? If there was his company name would be on the permit.
Just because a homeowner says that everything was inspected really doesn't mean anything.
You can get the permit number and see if the job had a final and they got a certificate of occupancy for this new living space.
It's not at all uncommon for people to be living in space that never really had a final.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
why do you even care?
do what you came to do, get your money, and move on.
if that requires fixing some old work, make sure that is part of your estimate.
do what you came to do, get your money, and move on.
if that requires fixing some old work, make sure that is part of your estimate.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
It sounds like you maybe working on a problem that doesn't exist.
Without more information, there is nothing in the OP that points to code violations (well maybe, if the nuetrals and the grounds were 'under the same screw').
Bid the requested work. Define your workscope.
Note that your bid does not include bringing existing violations up to code, except as they affect your workscope.
Include adder for additional workscope if you want to (this will probably get your bid thrown out).
Without more information, there is nothing in the OP that points to code violations (well maybe, if the nuetrals and the grounds were 'under the same screw').
Bid the requested work. Define your workscope.
Note that your bid does not include bringing existing violations up to code, except as they affect your workscope.
Include adder for additional workscope if you want to (this will probably get your bid thrown out).
mwm1752
Senior Member
- Location
- Aspen, Colo
Even thoughit is reasonable for the inspectors to confer with each other, the bottom line is that the responsible party of the construction project is responsible for calling for inspections. In most cases, professional tradesmen are aware of their responsibilities and pretenders will low ball & ignore proper procedures. A homeowner has the rights to pull their own permit for electrical & plumbing in Colorado. Even in my juristiction all builders are tested per level of construction they intend to perform. This is not a difficult test for a homeowner remodel situation but questions of permitting & inspection requirements are reveiwed.
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