Inventive ways to catch unpermitted work

[hillbilly1]

The only way to enforce this would be to limit the sale of electrical supplies (and plumbing for that matter) to wholesale houses which would only strictly sell to licensed professionals.

Yeah, that's gonna happen! Can you say "lobbiest"? How many billions are Home Depot and Lowes worth? No way in H would that ever get through.

And what about the wholesale houses? That ever so popular sign saying they sell only to the trade should read "They only sell to people with money". I guess they display that sign to make the OEMs happy.

Now they did somewhat do this with Freon sales. But anybody with half a brain can easily get a tank of R22 with little effort. And then the EPA test is basically filling out a form from what I hear.

So any attempt to curb DIY non-permitted work is fruitless.

The HVAC industry and their lobbiest have theirselfs covered, you can't go down to Home Depot or Lowes or any other home improvement center and buy a furnace or A/C system. Yeah, sure you can buy ductwork but not the furnace or A/C. Don't know how they got to be a protected industry, because an improperly installed electrical system is more dangerous than an improperly installed air conditioner.

 

[LarryFine]

Don't know how they got to be a protected industry, because an improperly installed electrical system is more dangerous than an improperly installed air conditioner.

Someone was convinced that Freon damages the ozone layer more than burning buildings do.

 

[adelle]

The HVAC industry and their lobbiest have theirselfs covered, you can't go down to Home Depot or Lowes or any other home improvement center and buy a furnace or A/C system. Yeah, sure you can buy ductwork but not the furnace or A/C. Don't know how they got to be a protected industry, because an improperly installed electrical system is more dangerous than an improperly installed air conditioner.

But you can walk into any Johnstone Supply or Grainger and buy a condensing unit with any major credit card. And that unit will be fully pre-charged! Just can't buy raw Freon without an EPA card.

Go figure!

 

[sd4524]

Oh man I wired a job yesterday that reminded me of this thread. Couldn't believe it. Single story house that is on the top of a hill and overlooks the ocean. Houses are all close together, no big yards as is typical in San Diego. Homeowner has some car in his garage that only like 1000 were ever built. (I forget the name but probably worth 100k)
Contractor built a deck in the back of the house that is taller than the roof line so you have a full view of ocean. What goes on top of the deck? A Jacuzzi tub! No permit! It looked like it was built pretty well and the contractor always does good work but I couldn't believe this one. Nobody has called the city yet.
I am an employee so its not my call on what type of work we pick and choose. We wired the jacuzzi to code.
This one I will call stupid and arrogant by the homeowner

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

How do they verify there's actually unpermited work being done?

You can't just fine someone for leaving construction debris on the curb......... maybe they just decided to clean out the garage/basement and get rid of the stuff they 'saved' years ago.

I did not read the whole thread.

I am surprised you ask this question.
1. garbage men turn in work
2. village looks for copy of permit
3. village finds no permit
4. BUSTED!!!

Seems pretty simple, and I also like the idea/method.

 

[kwired]

I did not read the whole thread.

I am surprised you ask this question.
1. garbage men turn in work
2. village looks for copy of permit
3. village finds no permit
4. BUSTED!!!

Seems pretty simple, and I also like the idea/method.

That would only give them a reason to look into it, they would still need to prove wrongdoing.

as 480 said:

maybe they just decided to clean out the garage/basement and get rid of the stuff they 'saved' years ago.

I throw away construction materials all the time, most of it from places I have been working and not from my home. Larger projects there is often on site dumpster or other service. Small projects - especially if owner is not there I will clean up after myself and remove debris from site. Customers don't like to come home to a mess.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

That would only give them a reason to look into it, they would still need to prove wrongdoing.

That is what I said using different words.

 

[360Youth]

I too have only read a few pages of the post, so if this point has been brought up, sorry. When I read the OP, I took it to mean that garbage men were on the lookout for construction in process that may or may not be permitted. Not just based on the trash collection. Anybody can throw out stuff that has been collected over the years, but if they spot a work vehicle in the driveway....

 

[macmikeman]

I too have only read a few pages of the post, so if this point has been brought up, sorry. When I read the OP, I took it to mean that garbage men were on the lookout for construction in process that may or may not be permitted. Not just based on the trash collection. Anybody can throw out stuff that has been collected over the years, but if they spot a work vehicle in the driveway....

And my cousin Louie the plumber offered to come over to help me move all my trash out to the street that day...:roll:

 

[LarryFine]

And my cousin Louie the plumber offered to come over to help me move all my trash out to the street that day...:roll:

That's why the trashguys are really ticked: you've been saving up all that trash for one big haul.

 

[Fulthrotl]

how it works in this area.......

how it works in this area.......

every request for a trash bin that rainbow disposal gets, they forward
to the city, so the city knows where the bins are sitting.

that is matched up against a list of open permits.

the bin shows up, and an hour behind it, is a city vehicle, looking for
demo work being done, at an address without a permit.

i've seen three people get pinged this way. one of them was a homeowner
who hired me to do a kitchen remodel. i asked about permits, and was told,
"we don need no steenking permits".....

i mentioned the rent a bin tripwire, and was told "we've got it handled".

two hours after the bin, there was an inspector walking into the
kitchen, asking where the permit card was. i directed him to the homeowner.

the other thing done here is commercial satellite imagery.
the city pulls pictures twice a week, and looks for changes.

 

[adelle]

every request for a trash bin that rainbow disposal gets, they forward
to the city, so the city knows where the bins are sitting.

that is matched up against a list of open permits.

the bin shows up, and an hour behind it, is a city vehicle, looking for
demo work being done, at an address without a permit.

..........

The other thing done here is commercial satellite imagery.
the city pulls pictures twice a week, and looks for changes.

And they wonder why California is going bankrupt! No way can the increased revenue from a few skipped permits total even close to the manpower investment in this sting operation.

 

[cowboyjwc]

And they wonder why California is going bankrupt! No way can the increased revenue from a few skipped permits total even close to the manpower investment in this sting operation.

You must not have seen the news report last night about OSHA stopping at a job site of a two man shop and writting them up because they weren't wearing hard hats while grouting a brick sidewalk and because they didn't have the chemical postings for the sand, water and cement they had on site. Fines totalling $3,600.00

 

[nhfire77]

the other thing done here is commercial satellite imagery.
the city pulls pictures twice a week, and looks for changes.

I cannot believe this is true.

If, it is I am HORRIFIED they are spending money on enforcement in this manner.

 

[M4gery]

every request for a trash bin that rainbow disposal gets, they forward
to the city, so the city knows where the bins are sitting.

that is matched up against a list of open permits.

the bin shows up, and an hour behind it, is a city vehicle, looking for
demo work being done, at an address without a permit.

i've seen three people get pinged this way. one of them was a homeowner
who hired me to do a kitchen remodel. i asked about permits, and was told,
"we don need no steenking permits".....

i mentioned the rent a bin tripwire, and was told "we've got it handled".

two hours after the bin, there was an inspector walking into the
kitchen, asking where the permit card was. i directed him to the homeowner.

the other thing done here is commercial satellite imagery.
the city pulls pictures twice a week, and looks for changes.

two hours after the bin, there was an inspector walking into the
kitchen, asking where the permit card was. i directed him to the homeowner.

How did he get a warrant so quickly? What was the warrant based on? The last time I looked, suspicion of demolition in a residential property wasn't grounds for a search warrant.

 

[LarryFine]

How did he get a warrant so quickly? What was the warrant based on? The last time I looked, suspicion of demolition in a residential property wasn't grounds for a search warrant.

"Warrant? We don't need no stinkin' warrant!"

I'm not under the impression that a warrant is needed by the building department.

 

[K8MHZ]

The HVAC industry and their lobbiest have theirselfs covered, you can't go down to Home Depot or Lowes or any other home improvement center and buy a furnace or A/C system. Yeah, sure you can buy ductwork but not the furnace or A/C. Don't know how they got to be a protected industry, because an improperly installed electrical system is more dangerous than an improperly installed air conditioner.

You sure can buy furnaces at HD. Willamson is the brand they sell.

You won't see brands like Trane sold there because they will only sell to companies that will service what they sell. I can walk right into Bishop Heating in my town and buy any Trane furnace or A/C unit I have the money for. No permit needed. I can get any furnace and A/C part there as well.

Lobbying has nothing to do with it.

 

[K8MHZ]

How did he get a warrant so quickly? What was the warrant based on? The last time I looked, suspicion of demolition in a residential property wasn't grounds for a search warrant.

The inspector asked where the card was. That card is supposed to be displayed outside. The inspector was giving the HO the benefit of the doubt by asking why there was no card outside.

The inspector could have just simply levied a fine and issued a stop order without even talking to the owner.

I don't see this as a search warrant issue, but the HO could have stopped the inspector from coming into the home without one. HO still would have got fined and a stop order issued either way.

 

[K8MHZ]

Edit for one of my posts.

It's Williams, not Williamson that makes the furnaces that HD sells.

 

[M4gery]

"Warrant? We don't need no stinkin' warrant!"

I'm not under the impression that a warrant is needed by the building department.

Building departments in California trump the Constitution?