A stupid question about plumbing permits

Hi All,

I am asking a simple question here. thanks for your answer.

I am in CT. Do I need permit to change my plumbing, including re-pipe shower?

You would need to check with your local plumbing Dept. to see if you do.

When I first moved to OH the local plumbing inspector almost threw me out of the office for trying to pull a permit to change out a water heater. When we got a new plumbing inspector he read me the riot act when he saw me putting one in with out pulling a permit? Some places require one for any fixture being replaced ie. faucet, toilet, ect.

Plead ignorance

just do the work and act stupid about it
all if you are ever caught-- just plead ignorance....


the only people that get in trouble are the craftsmen that
actually do this for a living,,,,, and know what they are doing.

and that is the real crime here.....


any moron can install a water heater or re-wire his
house and not take out a permit...

if the inspectors were really wanting to fine people
for not taking out permits,

all they would have to
do is sit outside LOWES and HOME DEPOT on a Saturday Morning
then follow the people home that had hot water heaters and
bathtubs and breaker boxes in the back of their station wagons,

wouldn't they??

and they would probably risk getting shot, but would
most likely save a few lives along the way too.

Its all political


so it aint gonna happen

Here in San Diego, homeowners are allowed to do just about anything they want ( water, gas, electric, etc). But they are required to pull the permits and get the inspections. Just inquire at your local deveopment services department to see what rules apply in your area.

If the inspectors were really wanting to fine people
for not taking out permits,

all they would have to
do is sit outside LOWES and HOME DEPOT on a Saturday Morning
then follow the people home that had hot water heaters and
bathtubs and breaker boxes in the back of their station wagons,
wouldn't they??

And if the police were serious about DUI drivers they would park outside the bars at 2:00a.m. and do sobriety tests as the drivers entered the street.

thats so true

never thought about that....

but its so true....

I guess a skummey laywer would say thats "entrapment"

Codes and inspection requirements vary from place to place, and it is always best to check everything with your local Building Inspection Department before beginning.
Not only can you be fined for violations, but if you ever try to sell your home with unpermitted and uninspected work, you may in for a very nasty surprise that might include tearing it all out, and doing it to code with a new permit.
In most places, residences must only meet codes for the year that they were built, and if there has been an addition, the addition has to meet code for the year that it was built.
In almost all cases now (at least here), a home sale involves a licensed General Home Inspection prior to closing. If something is discovered that isn't right, it usually has to be corrected at the seller's expense.
Mike
(NC Real Estate Broker)

Mike is right. I do Home Inspections and in my report I recomend that they check to see if there are permits for everything in the house that would require one. I can't tell you how may people have found that they have 2 bathrooms but only a permit for 1.

Thanks for all of your kind reply.

I am not adding anything into existing structure. My old shower faucet is broken and cannot be repaired. The old tile is loose and rotten too. So I just want to replace shower, incuding some related pipes, and re-tile the wall. From the answer here, it looks like I do not need one as long as I am not planning to modify the structure. This should not affect me when I sell the hourse down the road. Does that sound right?


Thanks,

Kai

permit

Yes, but some municipalities require a permit for anything that requires piping changes, no matter how minor.

While some people consider the inspector/permit thing a major pain, it does have its merits: in theory anyways, upgrades/modifications/changes are done in a safe and competant manner so that both you and the house are safe. If you are going to do the work on tearing out and replacing the shower, I suggest that you go over to www.johnbridge.com that site is dedicated to tiling, and showers are a major component. Check out their "liberry" and read some of the info on shower construction. You can ask specific questions after you've read the basics. Even if you are going to hire this done, it is a very good idea to understand how it is supposed to be done. Their instructions are based on the Tile Council of America, a voluntary standards group which have been adopted by many local codes as the way to do things. If you follow those instructions, you'll build a shower that will last, won't leak, and will give you long-life results.

hj said:

Yes, but some municipalities require a permit for anything that requires piping changes, no matter how minor.

Click to expand...

The way I understand the permit requirements in this area, anything over $100 requires a permit. Not that they enforce it.