Permit-less Project; Worry!

Every day, people try to avoid the permit process hoping the city will never find out – especially when doing simple interior renovations.

However, smaller projects do occasionally expand. Applying for one type of permit can generate a permit review, which uncovers any previous renovations with permitting issues.

If an inspector comes to the property and sees work occurring without the required permit, they can issue a stop work order, requiring all work to cease until the appropriate permit issuance. At the very least, this can delay project completion. In cases where work has progressed beyond the point of where inspection is required, the inspector can require contractors to demolish and restart the work to ensure code compliance. This can also add unexpected costs resulting from repeating work.

TIP: Remember, building inspectors have their jobs on the line every time they do an inspection. It is not in their interest to allow people to violate or ignore building codes.

Occasionally, a singular incident of monstrous proportions can lay waiting for just the right moment to rear its ugly head and ferociously bite the owner right in the…

In early August 2010, I was watching a story in Texas about a deck collapsing in south Austin. The deck fell two stories sending 23 people to the hospital. It turned out that the deck, built without a permit, had numerous structural and electrical code violations. Each violation carried a fine of $2,000 per day.

The story reminded me of a similar incident that occurred in the summer of 2003, where a deck collapsed in Chicago sending 57 to the hospital and left 13 dead. The investigation found that deck, built without a permit, was 50% larger than the permit-able size with numerous serious structural violations. The owner paid over $100,000 in fines to the city, which required the owner to rebuild or repair decks on several other buildings they owned. In 2007, suits brought by the various victims’ families were still in litigation.

Incidents where people are hurt and die are often a catalyst for municipal building code changes. In fact, one can argue that the majority of building codes resulted from a tragedy where people may have died. Terrible fires led to current fire and life safety codes. Terrible collapses led to structural codes. Disease Control helped lead to the development of plumbing and mechanical codes. Terrible electrical accidents led to current electrical codes. Fundamentally, it is important to understand that building codes are there to protect people from preventable tragedies.

Getting a permit is an important and necessary step in the construction process. If something happens and you have not obtained a building permit, like the owners of those decks, the liability can cost far more than the cost of the permit. If you are an owner, my suggestion is not to look at the permit process as an unimportant hassle. Instead, look at it as a city service that helps keep your contractor honest and people alive in the event of an unforeseen catastrophe.

We’ll discuss the process and municipal departments involved in getting a construction permit in Construction – Get the Construction Permit.