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In my city in the south-east you are required to get a building permit and get a final inspection for home-improvement projects over a set value (a few thousand, I think).
Many American cities have restrictions on who is allowed to do electrical and plumbing work. If you have to open up the pressurized water or gas pipes, or handle bare 110-v wires, you must have a license and the finished product must be inspected. It's a property value/insurance requirement thing. If you screw up the pipe installation, flood your house, and your insurance company refuses to pay, then you've potentially cost your bank (the one who holds your mortgage) a lot of money. Same for screwing up an electrical connection and burning your house down.
A toilet wouldn't fall into this category because most toilets are installed downstream of a shut-off valve in America. But the leaking shut-off valve to my ice maker that I replaced a few weeks ago would qualify because I had to shut off water to the entire house and drain the system. As would the bare-wire work required to replace a light fixture with a ceiling fan. If you don't get the wire-nuts properly tightened the wobbling fan could vibrate the ground and hot wires loose and into each other.
Those are both entirely 100% DIY projects. You would not have to hire a licensed professional to do either of those.
Just because people don't get building permits in the US doesn't mean they shouldn't be. Contractors would know which projects require permits, and which don't:
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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Originally Posted by Joe90
The regulation the links refer to, isn't really the same issue as the in the thread. It mainly concerns development levies and is usually money collected by councils for services, drainage, footpaths etc. Having built my own houses and had houses built for me as well, I would like not to have to pay for them, but then who would? -the rate payer?. This country works on the user pays principle with regard to building, as it should.
The matter of the RMA is primarily an extension of the democratic process. While I agree that I should mostly be able to do what I want on my own land. That rights of others who believe they will be adversely affected by my actions, should be given a voice. It can be a drawn out process, but things are seldom that simple. It plays little role in the majority of building work and for a house usually concerns matters such as land stability,erosion potential, storm water runoff, sewerage runoff etc.- matters that can affect people other than the owner, as well as acting adversely on the environment. People sometimes use the act just to be a pain
Land scarcity and high value is due to council regulation, rather than government regulation. Mainly an attempt to keep productive agricultural land free from development. High house prices are largely due to no capital gains tax on property and the ability of freehold property owners to positively gear loans.
The rest of the first site is just the standard line of the Business Roundtable. Some valid points, but as always - simplified and short on detail.
I don't doubt there are benefits and good reasons for many of NZ's regulations, just as there are here in the US. But at a minimum, there does seem to be a much greater focus on regs there, especially when a national-level Regulations Review Committee is required just to sort 'em out! And unlike here, apparently even the local process is different, with no prescribed procedures for even making regulations, such as a public debate before enactment (though admittedly our own 'public debate' requirements often end up being more for ''show'')!
So let me set up the story. We were in Australia about 8 years ago and loved it; beautiful, fun country, nice people, great food. But I sensed an undercurrent of statism, i.e. the government is smarter than it's citizens and knows what's better for them than they do. To me it's identical to Barack Obama's and the modern democratic party's mindset. In the Australia forum there was a thread that asked what irked you about Australia and I mentioned this and asked if one were allowed to install a ceiling fan or replace a toliet in your own home, and much to my surprise was told that no, you can't do that, it is illegal. One must hire a state liscensed contractor to do that. There are no Lowes or Home Depot in Australia. When displaying my shock at this, my post was met with credulity; one poster even compared installing a new ceiling fan with open heart surgery; here's the post:
Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy That is unbelievable. Another example of government elites thinking that they in their infinite wisdom know better and are smarter than you. For crying out loud, it's your own home. Talk about an overreaching HUGE government industrial complex. PATHETIC!
So are you are allowed to do your own gas installation in the US? That sounds rather scary to be honest.
What about surgery? Can anyone have a go at open heart surgery?
So here's my question for Neo Progs, do you support a ban on DIY projects in your own home like Australia has?
What is the point of this thread? Are there proposals to pass any such laws in the US? Is this just an attempt to bash another country?
Ironically, gas prices in Oregon tend to be lower, especially a few miles within the border, tend to be cheaper then prices on the other side of the border.
The government shouldn't be forcing the creation of private sector jobs like this. Should Oregon require that every supermarket has a "greeter" at the front door too? So that everyone knows where to find the shopping cart?
As for gas prices, the gasoline tax in Oregon is 7.5 cents less than they are in Washington. That probably explains the difference in gas prices.
So let me set up the story. We were in Australia about 8 years ago and loved it; beautiful, fun country, nice people, great food. But I sensed an undercurrent of statism, i.e. the government is smarter than it's citizens and knows what's better for them than they do. To me it's identical to Barack Obama's and the modern democratic party's mindset. In the Australia forum there was a thread that asked what irked you about Australia and I mentioned this and asked if one were allowed to install a ceiling fan or replace a toliet in your own home, and much to my surprise was told that no, you can't do that, it is illegal. One must hire a state liscensed contractor to do that. There are no Lowes or Home Depot in Australia. When displaying my shock at this, my post was met with credulity; one poster even compared installing a new ceiling fan with open heart surgery; here's the post:
Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy That is unbelievable. Another example of government elites thinking that they in their infinite wisdom know better and are smarter than you. For crying out loud, it's your own home. Talk about an overreaching HUGE government industrial complex. PATHETIC!
So are you are allowed to do your own gas installation in the US? That sounds rather scary to be honest.
What about surgery? Can anyone have a go at open heart surgery?
So here's my question for Neo Progs, do you support a ban on DIY projects in your own home like Australia has?
Here is a link for Masters Home Improvement stores, located throughout Australia: Store Locator | Masters
Another link announcing the opening of Masters stores. In this article it states the new Masters chain
So, tell me, why would there be home improvement stores (that sell fans) located throughout Australia if home improvement projects were 'banned' by the government?
While what the OP said was completely wrong, I think it's pretty ridiculous Australia bans homeowners from replacing a light switch or switching out a light fixture for a ceiling fan.
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o you support a Ban on DIY projects in your own home like Australia has?
