Virginia - unpermitted work

[AC\DC]

My state wide investigative fraud team S.W.I.F.T conducts home invasion sting projects with local law enforcement, fines, incarcerates, & fills their patty wagons with criminals that violate license law.

Wow, that is dumb. As others have stated permit does not mean quality of work. If I did not have to I would not pull them, my business would be shut down though if I get caught.
I would do a good job regardless of permit for many reason, good word of mouth for business, not killing some one, not getting sued. These have nothing to do with permits.
locking some one up for not complying is terrible. No wonder people are leaving that state.

 

[petersonra]

I've never once heard a customer raise this concern. Just saying.

It is a big problem here. I snipped this from my own assessment from the local assessors page. It is very clear they use permits as part of the assessment process. it is interesting that the fence permit is not listed though. Maybe they did not list them that far back.

 

[tthh]

I used to live in Northern Virginia. I finished the basement in the house we owned there. Did most of the work myself. Pulled permits for all of it. Even was failed on one electrical item that I explained to the inspector he was wrong and finally called his boss and faxed over the section and then his boss passed it. Anyway, a month of so after the final inspection, my wife sees someone in our backyard snooping around. Wife confronts the person who says they are with the assessment office and are looking around at the improvements - unbelievable! My wife tells her to get off the property.

 

[NathanVA]

Anyway, a month of so after the final inspection, my wife sees someone in our backyard snooping around.

Papers, please...

 

[electrofelon]

My state wide investigative fraud team S.W.I.F.T conducts home invasion sting projects with local law enforcement, fines, incarcerates, & fills their patty wagons with criminals that violate license law.

Unfortunately, in red States S.W.I.F.T doesn't exist,

Not to drag this discussion into the political arena, but I dont think you can make any generalizations about permitting in red vs blue states. In fact if anything I would say red states have just as much if not MORE government involvement in permitting and licensing, which is kind of strange. For example I am in NY, and there is no licensing in my area, no electrical permits, private 3rd party electrical inspections, and I can build stuff without a building permit and no one cares.

 

[ramsy]

in NY, and there is no licensing in my area, no electrical permits, private 3rd party electrical inspections, and I can build stuff without a building permit and no one cares.

Do I understand correctly that New York is historically a blue state, but red governors completely eviscerated unions, contractor licensing, and permit requirements?

Or, are you talking about unincorporated areas of most States, which don't have local building-permit requirements?

 

[James L]

I have a job currently between rough-in and finish - maybe

It's in a city which requires only general building permit, and they don't care who does the work as long as it passes inspection. Homeowner pulled his own permit. It's a room addition with swim spa and family room extension

I have to add a subpanel piped from exterior main panel, move air conditioner wiring, hot tub circuit, underground feed to fence, as well as the interior wiring and crawl space lighting.

I told HO that I need 4 days. He responded by scheduling RI inspection the day after I started. By that point, I had 80% of the interior wired. All electrical passed. I asked the HO wtf? He said he wanted to get the inspection as quickly as possible, then complete the rough-in after inspection.

I completed the interior wiring for drywall to go in, but I told him as soon as RI inspection passes, my RI is done and I won't be back until finish.

Now yesterday he texted me to say he already had final inspection and it passed. I told him I can't do the finish for another 2 weeks

What the heck was the point of that permit?
Nothing, except tax increase

 

[electrofelon]

Do I understand correctly that New York is historically a blue state, but red governors completely eviscerated unions, contractor licensing, and permit requirements?

. I don't know the history of those issues. I assume there was never state level licensing or permits in NY.

Or, are you talking about unincorporated areas of most States, which don't have local building-permit requirements?

Just because an area is unincorporated, there could still be and often is still Town, county, or state permits and licensing required.

My point was just that red states don't seem to have less trade permitting and licensing then blue States, which is contrary to what you might think.... At least what I would think.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I have a job currently between rough-in and finish - maybe

It's in a city which requires only general building permit, and they don't care who does the work as long as it passes inspection. Homeowner pulled his own permit. It's a room addition with swim spa and family room extension

I have to add a subpanel piped from exterior main panel, move air conditioner wiring, hot tub circuit, underground feed to fence, as well as the interior wiring and crawl space lighting.

I told HO that I need 4 days. He responded by scheduling RI inspection the day after I started. By that point, I had 80% of the interior wired. All electrical passed. I asked the HO wtf? He said he wanted to get the inspection as quickly as possible, then complete the rough-in after inspection.

I completed the interior wiring for drywall to go in, but I told him as soon as RI inspection passes, my RI is done and I won't be back until finish.

Now yesterday he texted me to say he already had final inspection and it passed. I told him I can't do the finish for another 2 weeks

What the heck was the point of that permit?
Nothing, except tax increase

The inspector gave a final without any light fixtures, receptacles or switches??
Sort have to agree with you.. it’s a money racket only.

 

[sparky1118]

What makes you think that permits make a job better? It's just about money so the locality can increase your real estate taxes.

Because the main reason why someone doesn't want to pull a permit is because they are not licensed and or doesn't do work to code and they know it wouldn't pass.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[electrofelon]

Because the main reason why someone doesn't want to pull a permit is because they are not licensed and or doesn't do work to code and they know it wouldn't pass.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

I honestly have not seen any evidence that licensed people do better work. I am in a rather unique position where I work in two states, one that has essentially no licensing or permits and the other that does. I honestly cannot say the more regulated state has better quality electrical work.

 

[James L]

The inspector gave a final without any light fixtures, receptacles or switches??
Sort have to agree with you.. it’s a money racket only.

Not only devices. Crawl space still isn't wired, hot tub and air conditioner not wired, subpanel feed is not in, fence receptacles feed not in. That's the most retarded thing I've ever seen

 

[NathanVA]

I honestly cannot say the more regulated state has better quality electrical work.

My state is fairly well regulated and I’ve seen some pretty scary installations. I guarantee it was either a Harry Homeowner job or Handyman Special, unpermitted and uninspected. Just because regulations exist doesn’t mean people follow them…

 

[James L]

My state is fairly well regulated and I’ve seen some pretty scary installations. I guarantee it was either a Harry Homeowner job or Handyman Special, unpermitted and uninspected. Just because regulations exist doesn’t mean people follow them…

I know more licensed hacks than you can shake a stick at. When it has a permit and there is a licensed electrician doing the work, that certainly implies the work is going to be better quality. But in real life I know better

 

[flashlight]

Not to drag this discussion into the political arena, but I dont think you can make any generalizations about permitting in red vs blue states. In fact if anything I would say red states have just as much if not MORE government involvement in permitting and licensing, which is kind of strange. For example I am in NY, and there is no licensing in my area, no electrical permits, private 3rd party electrical inspections, and I can build stuff without a building permit and no one cares.

Like you say, not to make this political, but generally NYC and nearby municipalities are a "Blue State," and upstate NY is a "Red State."

With exceptions of course, such as college towns upstate, and Staten Island downstate.

 

[petersonra]

Like you say, not to make this political, but generally NYC and nearby municipalities are a "Blue State," and upstate NY is a "Red State."

With exceptions of course, such as college towns upstate, and Staten Island downstate.

It's pretty much that way in Illinois too. Outside of Cook county it is pretty much a red state. The big urban areas make the difference.

While the zoning and building rules are somewhat evil here they are no where near as bad as Chicago.