I have a lot of friends who have remodled their basements without getting them inspected. Well I have heard so many different stories about what happens when one goes to sell their house would like to know what really happens. Since I don't plan on living here forever I want to put in for a perment and do it right and asked if I could do the work myself and was that there is a test the homeowner can talk but I have to summit a perment first. I'm putting in a bathroom, one bedroom and a family room. Is there anywhere I can get information as to what's on this test so I can study up. The cost of having a the pluming and electrical work is just way out of line. Over $600.00 for the running just the water line far the shower & sink and tolit when they are right there. $ 2,500.00 for the electrical. Wow!It's been roughed in and I but the showerbase in already and will do the rest.
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Well here is a story of what can happen if you don't get a permit.
Lady selling house after living in it just two years(her husband died)adds to the forsale sign in her front yard"Newly Finished Basement".The owner before her finished the basement.
Local Building Inspector driving by sees the sign,notes the newly finished basement part and just for the heck of it looks to see if a permit was ever pulled.Guess what? No permit on file.
Goes back to house for sale tells the woman no permit was ever issued for basement remodel,inspects the basement and finds many violations in the electric work.
This woman now has to pay for repairs(well over $1000.00)for a job that someone else did that wasn't up to code.
I could also tell you how a good friend of mine died in a basement fire because escape wasn't an issue when his basement was finished off because no permit was pulled.
Get your permit,anything you don't know how to do sub it out to licenced,insured pros.Sometimes they will let you do part of their job(labor,digging,grunt work)and knock $$$ off their price,but at least you can sleep at night knowing the work was done right.And don't forget the fire escape,please.Luck
Lady selling house after living in it just two years(her husband died)adds to the forsale sign in her front yard"Newly Finished Basement".The owner before her finished the basement.
Local Building Inspector driving by sees the sign,notes the newly finished basement part and just for the heck of it looks to see if a permit was ever pulled.Guess what? No permit on file.
Goes back to house for sale tells the woman no permit was ever issued for basement remodel,inspects the basement and finds many violations in the electric work.
This woman now has to pay for repairs(well over $1000.00)for a job that someone else did that wasn't up to code.
I could also tell you how a good friend of mine died in a basement fire because escape wasn't an issue when his basement was finished off because no permit was pulled.
Get your permit,anything you don't know how to do sub it out to licenced,insured pros.Sometimes they will let you do part of their job(labor,digging,grunt work)and knock $$$ off their price,but at least you can sleep at night knowing the work was done right.And don't forget the fire escape,please.Luck
I'm in the same battle that DK described. I too have heard some horror stories, but they're 2-way as far as I'm concerned.
I *want* my basement to meet all of the reasonable codes, (there are few that just seem to be the result of a bored bureaucrat) but at the same time, I'm scared of the hassle of the inspections and the potential cost is staggering.
Example: I have "daylight" windows in the basement. As a 200+ lb adult, I could get through them if I had to, but at 9 sq feet and 52" from the floor, they don't meet egress standards. Estimated cost for new windows and cutting of foundation: about $2,000.
Another example: My 3-year old home is in a new sub. The city hasn't kept up with the assessments very well, but my home and the ones near it have appreciated nicely - and this is before I add living space and value to the home. The permit process is all but guaranteed to make my taxes skyrocket. That might be inevitable anyway, but if I stay in this house for 5-7 more years, rushing it could cost me thousands PER YEAR. Add that to the extra costs required by the codes and keeping the job a secret all seems worth it. Paying even 4x what that lady did for her electrical repairs is a bargain.
I can't find the math that makes a permit worthwhile if the only risk is bringing up to code at the time of sale (not even close, in fact). But what about liability? What if the next owner of my home buys it as-is and has a fire in the basement I built? If his kids can't climb out the window that I didn't enlarge, can he sue me and take my NEXT house???
I've scanned through this forum and talked to neighbors, contractors and friends. Everyone has an opinion, but they also all seem to think it's an easy decision one way or another.
It's NOT!
