ramsy
NoFixNoPay Electric
- Location
- LA basin, CA
- Occupation
- Service Electrician 2020 NEC
Regarding occupied garages and AFCI's.
Observation suggests building permits with plans & inspections for room additions is a desire of law, but perhaps not always defacto.
If unpaid contractors are willing to purchase a ~$100. city business license, they can report permit violations to local code enforcement, and leverage adopted Uniform Building Codes 18.90.110 (.030) to fine or revoke occupancy, before filing mechanics liens.
However, contractors attempting to leverage code enforcement on the cheep are referred to a peace officer, who must issues fines for operating without a local business license. Minor services less likely to report permit violations, are even less likely to purchase business licenses.
Building permits have been arranged to occur between occupancy, and HUD inspectors that don't need permits can still miss locked garages. Further, licensed contractors with access to government leverage may be avoided by sub-cultures originating from corrupt governments. Avoiding local tax increases tied to total area of occupancy, also avoids revocation of occupancy with building hazards.
People who allow contractors in their garages may agree to remove extension-cord wiring, add GFCI's, dual function for laundry, or drive missing ground rods for sub-panels, but are perhaps less likely to pull permits and invite inspectors to an existing garage not planned for occupancy.
While removing acute fire & safety hazards won't void insurance policy, and may reduce the chance of casualty, the law can't force insurance to cover claims where a required AHJ inspection was avoided. Especially if that occupancy is still missing required insulation, gas-appliance ventalation, egress lighting, or smoke/CO detectors. Therefore, it would seem the building records render most homeowner claims void after such remodels & additions.
The local AHJ combo inspectors that emerged after the recession of 2008 are not electrical-code wonks, not expected to ID counterfeit equipment listings, much less master residential, commercial, and industrial Plumbing / HVAC / Electrical / Energy / or Framing standards forced on their plate.
Combo inspectors need help from the qualified electrical contractor to recognize wiring methods not listed for the purpose, or box fill & receptacle-spacing codes, much less the difference between a GFCI, and dual function AFCI / GFCI for garage occupancy. Combo inspectors may not even recognize NFPA-70, unless directed thru their State-adopted publications. 2017 NFPA-70 406.4(D) should be referenced as: 2019 California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title-24, Chapter 3, Section 406.4(D).
Observation suggests building permits with plans & inspections for room additions is a desire of law, but perhaps not always defacto.
If unpaid contractors are willing to purchase a ~$100. city business license, they can report permit violations to local code enforcement, and leverage adopted Uniform Building Codes 18.90.110 (.030) to fine or revoke occupancy, before filing mechanics liens.
However, contractors attempting to leverage code enforcement on the cheep are referred to a peace officer, who must issues fines for operating without a local business license. Minor services less likely to report permit violations, are even less likely to purchase business licenses.
Building permits have been arranged to occur between occupancy, and HUD inspectors that don't need permits can still miss locked garages. Further, licensed contractors with access to government leverage may be avoided by sub-cultures originating from corrupt governments. Avoiding local tax increases tied to total area of occupancy, also avoids revocation of occupancy with building hazards.
People who allow contractors in their garages may agree to remove extension-cord wiring, add GFCI's, dual function for laundry, or drive missing ground rods for sub-panels, but are perhaps less likely to pull permits and invite inspectors to an existing garage not planned for occupancy.
While removing acute fire & safety hazards won't void insurance policy, and may reduce the chance of casualty, the law can't force insurance to cover claims where a required AHJ inspection was avoided. Especially if that occupancy is still missing required insulation, gas-appliance ventalation, egress lighting, or smoke/CO detectors. Therefore, it would seem the building records render most homeowner claims void after such remodels & additions.
The local AHJ combo inspectors that emerged after the recession of 2008 are not electrical-code wonks, not expected to ID counterfeit equipment listings, much less master residential, commercial, and industrial Plumbing / HVAC / Electrical / Energy / or Framing standards forced on their plate.
Combo inspectors need help from the qualified electrical contractor to recognize wiring methods not listed for the purpose, or box fill & receptacle-spacing codes, much less the difference between a GFCI, and dual function AFCI / GFCI for garage occupancy. Combo inspectors may not even recognize NFPA-70, unless directed thru their State-adopted publications. 2017 NFPA-70 406.4(D) should be referenced as: 2019 California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title-24, Chapter 3, Section 406.4(D).
