Do You Really Need to Pull a Building Permit?:

Pulling a building permit secures your assets. Yet, many owners still opt not to pull permits when it comes to their construction projects. For those that are questioning what route they want to take, let’s review the benefits of getting a building permit and discuss the possible consequences if you choose not to.

Firstly, contractors often make mistakes. Whether their mistakes are intentional via cutting corners, or due to negligence, these mistakes can put owners at risk. Aside from the obvious protection of having an inspector catch potentially harmful mistakes your contractor might make, a permit also ensures a smooth transfer of ownership. Potential buyers may not be able to attain financing for properties with unpermitted work. Plus those properties are worth much less. Not to mention, if you are caught performing non-permitted work, your site can be shut down by the building department, indefinitely. The bottom line is, you don’t want to get caught without a building permit. Chances are that sooner or later, not pulling a permit will come back to haunt you.

Case Study:

Consider the following real-life example. Mr. and Mrs. X hire a contractor to remodel their home. Their contractor tells them permits aren’t really necessary and that they can save a lot of time and money by skipping it entirely. They move the laundry into the garage, where there is a gas-fired water heater. Except, the contractor vented the laundry back into the garage. Mr. and Mrs. X were none the wiser because they trusted their contractor, who had excellent reviews online. Everything seemed fine when the work was done, and the contractor was paid after completing the job. Later on, they decided to change out their HVAC and they hired us to do the HERS Rating. During the inspection, our diligent field verifier noticed that the laundry was not properly exhausted to the outside. We warned the homeowners the water heater pilot light could ignite an explosion in the garage.

Do You Need Building Permit Assistance?:

1. Avoid delays: After submitting your building permit application, there’s nothing scarier than receiving a laundry list of items to correct with no idea where to start. Save yourself wasted time by choosing an experienced team of experts ahead of time. Learn more about BarrierEnergy.
2. Save Money: By saving time, you save yourself money. With fewer delays and fewer revisions, you can keep your wallet where it belongs. In your pocket!
3. Enjoy hassle-free progress: Save yourself from unnecessary stress, confusion, and long hold times. We will coordinate directly with the building department on your behalf to submit and revise your permit application as needed.
4. Get expert consultation: You’re not in this alone because you have a team of people supporting you and your project. With over a decade of experience in the construction industry, we know how all the different components fit together in this process. We can advise you on a number of subjects, and refer you to other trusted sources when required.

A Homeowners Guide to HERS:

Whether you are an owner/builder or you are hiring a contractor/builder, it’s not uncommon to get stuck during the developmental stages of a construction project. It’s best to be proactive rather than reactive, so give us a call today. We will offer you a free walkthrough consultation to give you an idea of what’s ahead. Plus, if you hit a wall in the permitting process, you can check out our newsletter on how to get building plan approval.