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Wow only a $100 for a variance in my city it's about $1200 and if one neighbor shows up and complains you don't get it. If you go back to when I first moved here in 1994 I pulled a permit to run 220v to my garage it cost $50. Today that same permit would be $500 10x what it cost 20 years ago. Why so expensive if they want home owners to pull permits get the prices low. My city's website is horrible you can't submit plans online except to replace a water heater. The layout is so bad you can't find any information they have links to all kinds of code reversions but no master list of the current code. Every link is a PDF and it's all jumbled together.
I think this thread shows why different people have different opinions of the permit process. A lot depends on the jurisdiction you live in and how easy (or difficult) to deal with. I live in a small town (5000 residents or so) and the process is reasonable. As I said earlier we just raised fees for the first time in years and in most cases they are now similar to some other towns in the area. The Town has a decent web site with the town ordinances on it as published by a national service. The town staff is helpful and the town engineer will explain why he has issues with plans in simple terms for residents (But he can also hold his own with developers and professionals). I guess that is why I have a good opinion of the permit process and the need for regulations and permits.
There are many good comments here demonstrating the value of a rigorous inspection and permitting system for the public safety. I would also point out that the tax interest is a legitimate government interest. If you live in a municipality that bases tax assessments on the value of the property, which most of us do, the municipality has a legitimate need to ascertain the value of each parcel. Failing that taxes will be assessed unfairly.
I think this thread shows why different people have different opinions of the permit process. A lot depends on the jurisdiction you live in and how easy (or difficult) to deal with.
This is certainly true. While the basis for permits is well-intentioned and even beneficial, some communities simply use it as a means to raise revenue, with little real benefit to the public. One community in my area, in particular, is known for its high prices, poor administration and inept inspectors--some would even call them crooked.
There are a LOT of false burglar alarms or have been in the past. The police waste a ton of time answering those alarms when nothing has happened.
One problem is an alarm will be making noise and the police have no idea who they can contact to shut off the alarm.
Or if there has been a break-in and they don't know who to contact to secure the building.
An "Alarm Permit" solves several of these problems. It educates the home or business owner, that after so many false alarms, they will be charged for additional false alarms. There is a fee which may help to pay for the additional police required to answer all those false alarms. And there is a contact list of persons who would have a key to the property and could shut off the alarm and/or secure the property.
When I pulled a permit to re-roof my home the inspector did a sheathing inspection and a final.
Later that year I had another roof done by a licensed roofing contractor with a permit and no inspections,
I called the city and asked why.
The City said some contractors have an excellent history and they are only subject to random inspection which means not all jobs are inspected.
Anyone that thinks a permit automatically equals inspection would be wrong in my city of 450k population.
Every year the company would have a BBQ for employees and family... about 5 years ago, the city instituted a $20 permit fee which we paid... last year the fee minimum went to $180 and we cancelled... there was such an outcry the city this year said we can have our BBQ and no permit is required...
we're mixing permits on this thread. started with building permits (which serve one purpose) and alarm permits (which serve another purpose) got mixed in along the way.
I think we can all agree that to some extent: their purpose is to feed ever-ravenous buracracies, right?
we're mixing permits on this thread. started with building permits (which serve one purpose) and alarm permits (which serve another purpose) got mixed in along the way.
I think we can all agree that to some extent: their purpose is to feed ever-ravenous buracracies, right?
Maybe you are agreeing to that, but based on some of the posts here (and I'm sure the thinking of some not posting), not everyone agrees to that.
This thread is really kind of dumb complaining about requirements to meet a minimum standard. Just go to Mexico and you'll be glad to pay your permit. If you think permit fees are to high then move out of one of the most expensive areas in the nation? Building code is a minimum standard adopted by states in a 3 year cycle and mandated by municipalities. Changes may be made and adopted by the city council such as not allowing ABS pipe. This just means an old plumber was involved in the process, and human intervention is human nature. If it bothers you move to a place without standards? What's worse is if there was a mistake by the city officials and everyone would be complaining they didn't get what they deserved. The building department does a whole lot more than you'll ever see. Just ask an Architect after he gets a plan back for corrections.
People that complain should experience chaos and anarchy and maybe they'd appreciate things more. I'm personally proud to have the ability to mail in my quarterly tax payment. Proud I can pay my property taxes that affords them to plow snow off my roads. The glass is half full people.
I spent several years in the Philippines. Because of the hight rate of burglary, middle-class houses were built of concrete block with iron grates enclosing the windows (the wealthy had guards). No codes, so the iron grates had no emergency escape provisions--they were embedded in concrete around the windows. So we had been warned to keep a car jack by the window to crank apart the bars in case of fire. And fires happened pretty frequently.
Then I had an opportunity to watch a house across the street being built. They just stacked dry concrete blocks and smeared mortar over the outside of the joints. So I abandoned the jack and just kept a 12-pound sledge hammer next to the bedroom window. I figured I could just go through the wall faster than I could wrangle a jack in the window.
Our landlord was on hand when we had the propane-fueled stove installed. The kid set up a tank outside the kitchen, bored a hole through the wall, and began running copper tubing (clearly salvaged copper tubing). When he prepared to light the stove for the first time, we noticed the landlord beat feet out the door to the street....hmm.
Electricity was just as dicey. It was all guess and substitute. There was not the slightest concept of matching wire guage to anticipated load. Power went out every day, circuit breakers blew any time, and when mains power was restored, it came back with a surge that blew out light bulbs.
And the tapwater was deadly to drink. Women were advised not to bathe in it. In fact, I hesitated to sit over it on the toilet.
Here the permit to install an alarm or the permit to build an addition are all handled at the same counter... also the permit for an obstruction or public event...
It is easy to mix since the same folks collect the money.
Here's another example...
A friend lives in the county next to million dollar homes... he built a magnificent hewn block 7,500 square foot building the looks like a winery and no permit required... he is zoned AG and has a small vineyard... the 5 acre home next to him wanted to build a detached 3 car garage and it took a year to get approvals...
These two buildings and next to each other and both in the county... the 7,500 square foot building has it's own electric meter with 400 amp service... no county inspection because it's AG.
The only inspection was by the fire department for proper clearance around the new structure...
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