Oh Lord Inspectors Comin

[ToxicShocker]

I've been remodeling my house for about a year and a half now. I started with a bathroom from scratch and pulled permits so that the extra bathroom would be shown on the property details. The permit cost about $800 and the process wasn't too bad, but I didn't like having to go back and forth with the inspector for a few months.

I had torn down a whole bunch of plaster ceiling in the hallways and they told me I had to drywall that before they would sign off a final inspection in the bathroom. A buddy and I hung about 12 sheets back up and the inspectors left with my 1 coat of mud on the halls.

Spoiler

Now that they were gone and out of my hair I went ahead with working on the kitchen without a permit. I knocked down a load bearing wall, poured huge pads in the existing slab, and put up a 25' header in the ceiling joists.

After that I ran 500 ft of wire, and about 10 new circuits in the walls and covered em up. Bought all the cabinet boxes and anchored everything down.

I brought a drywall guy in to do a perfect final coat on my drywall work and was excited to be close to done.

Knock knock

Today the inspector showed up and asked if I was doing any construction, he was standing in the entryway which opens into the hallway. I told him no, no construction, I'm just doing the final mud cost on the ceilings. He said he stopped because he saw some drywall and hardibacker in the entryway from the street. I said that stuff was there cause I'm emptying the garage of all the trash and hasn't thrown it out yet. He said make sure you pull permits when you get to the kitchen and left.

Spoiler

Now I'm panicking. If he decides he wants to come back and demand a walkthrough I'm fucked. I'm easily 25k into the kitchen, and the structural work I did can't be undone. I had an engineer draft it all, but once it's in place you can't verify that I followed his directions.

If he comes back and sees the work I've done they could demand I destroy the kitchen and rebuild it all with permits.

Anyone ever done unpermitted work and come across an inspector?

P.s. he was next door for neighbors permit when he saw the trash on my porch. Almost positive the neighbors didn't snitch on me. Greater Los Angeles area...

All this cause I left some shit outside for like a week.

 

[HARRISON_3]

Damn, that looks like a shitload of work.

 

[yamahacrasher]

Nice work on the bathroom. On a related note, you might just be fucked.

 

[D Train]

Idk my man, sounds risky.

 

[supnmunm]

Hopefully that inspector isn't a sherdogger

 

[minute bull]

I love your aesthetic but, n____a, you got sloppy! Hope you got a duffel full of cash you can suddenly find that the inspector must have dropped.

 

[mb23100]

"Pulled permits"

 

[El_Dyablo619]

Maybe it's because of the Jew lights you put in the bathroom.. they can sense that shit.

 

[ToxicShocker]

I called a residential, a commercial contractor, and a realtor who all said, don't worry about it, but make sure your neighbors aren't pissed for any reason. They implied the inspectors won't hassle a homeowner as much as a pro doing the work without permits.

The realtor said hurry the fuck up and complete it, if they come inside play dumb and say "all I did was put tile and cabinets in".

Everything was done to code, but can't be verified without destroying it. The only thing I cheaped out on was installing all arc-fault breakers, which is a new 1-1-19 requirement. My upgraded panel won't hold 10 new arc faults.

 

[minute bull]

If you know it's gon' be a problem I don't know why you wouldn't address it.

 

[ToxicShocker]

Well I never thought I would see the inspector again. The house is in a gated community.

Also if you sell a house with unpermitted work it gets grandfathered in for the new owner. As long as it's not blatantly dangerous.

I'm planning on selling the house next year as long as the market holds.

 

[eighterumg5]

Never fuck with inspectors. They are better at it then a French prostitute

 

[DaleBoca]

You’re welcome.

 

[ralphc1]

I've been remodeling my house for about a year and a half now. I started with a bathroom from scratch and pulled permits so that the extra bathroom would be shown on the property details. The permit cost about $800 and the process wasn't too bad, but I didn't like having to go back and forth with the inspector for a few months.

I had torn down a whole bunch of plaster ceiling in the hallways and they told me I had to drywall that before they would sign off a final inspection in the bathroom. A buddy and I hung about 12 sheets back up and the inspectors left with my 1 coat of mud on the halls.

Spoiler

Now that they were gone and out of my hair I went ahead with working on the kitchen without a permit. I knocked down a load bearing wall, poured huge pads in the existing slab, and put up a 25' header in the ceiling joists.

After that I ran 500 ft of wire, and about 10 new circuits in the walls and covered em up. Bought all the cabinet boxes and anchored everything down.

I brought a drywall guy in to do a perfect final coat on my drywall work and was excited to be close to done.

Knock knock

Today the inspector showed up and asked if I was doing any construction, he was standing in the entryway which opens into the hallway. I told him no, no construction, I'm just doing the final mud cost on the ceilings. He said he stopped because he saw some drywall and hardibacker in the entryway from the street. I said that stuff was there cause I'm emptying the garage of all the trash and hasn't thrown it out yet. He said make sure you pull permits when you get to the kitchen and left.

Spoiler

Now I'm panicking. If he decides he wants to come back and demand a walkthrough I'm fucked. I'm easily 25k into the kitchen, and the structural work I did can't be undone. I had an engineer draft it all, but once it's in place you can't verify that I followed his directions.

If he comes back and sees the work I've done they could demand I destroy the kitchen and rebuild it all with permits.

Anyone ever done unpermitted work and come across an inspector?

P.s. he was next door for neighbors permit when he saw the trash on my porch. Almost positive the neighbors didn't snitch on me. Greater Los Angeles area...

All this cause I left some shit outside for like a week.

A local couple got a building permit for a 5,000 sq foot "garage" and actually built a second house that was 60 feet high and 15,000 sq feet. The couple said it was a $300,000 building. The county appraised it at $900,000.

https://www.leadertelegram.com/news...cle_4a0cd4db-a29b-57e3-8d82-c33ef8e080bd.html

A judge ruled that they had to tear it down. If you're lucky, all they will make you do is tear out the drywall to inspect the work.

Why didn't you add the kitchen to the permit? I don't know how things are done there but they keep pretty close track around here. When realtors list a property, they have pictures that the authorities download for future reference. They also keep track of building materials being delivered.

 

[Slobodan]

@ToxicShocker have you considered touching him with the jab?

 

[ToxicShocker]

A local couple got a building permit for a 5,000 sq foot "garage" and actually built a second house that was 60 feet high and 15,000 sq feet. The couple said it was a $300,000 building. The county appraised it at $900,000. Why didn't you add the kitchen to the permit? When realtors list a property, they have pictures that the authorities download for future reference.

Those people's addition appears to run afoul for a number of much more severe issues. One, its a million dollar build, two its impossible to expose that much work for inspection, three it may have been too tall, too big too much, for the local ordinances.

All I did was delete a load bearing wall, and reconfigure the utilities. I didn't want to spend 2 years of construction having to schedule weekly inspections. I'm doing 90% myself. If I added the kitchen Id have to add every outlet, every ceiling light, 2 other bathrooms, to the permit and it would never end.

@ToxicShocker have you considered touching him with the jab?

Words are more powerful than jabs. I think I deftly placated his curiosity. However I won't know for sure until its too late. I know I looked down and to the left when he asked if I was working/going to work on the kitchen. "No, not yet, but I will pull permits when I do". I don't have practice lying while staring someone in the face.

Here's the thing, they are allowed to inspect if you are doing work. But he didn't ask for a walkthrough, if he had, and I refused he could come back with a "warrant"?

I'm hoping the fact that he didn't ask for a walkthrough means he is not interested, whether he believed me or not.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

The only thing I cheaped out on was installing all arc-fault breakers, which is a new 1-1-19 requirement. My upgraded panel won't hold 10 new arc faults.

Can you upgrade your upgraded panel?

Bathroom looks great btw

 

[ToxicShocker]

Thank you those who liked the bathroom. When you see the kitchen completed you are gonna bust a nut.

Yes I can upgrade the panel, ~$1000. The foundation repairs could cost tens of thousands to repair.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Thank you those who liked the bathroom. When you see the kitchen completed you are gonna bust a nut.

Yes I can upgrade the panel, ~$1000. The foundation repairs could cost tens of thousands to repair.

For the resale I would recommend, for the new owners sake, the arc-fault breaker; they're safer, right? And that wouldn't have anything to do with the foundation, right? (i'm really not handy so these questions are not rhetorical). And hope they don't come back. I'm rooting for you.

 

[lsa]

I'll be back @ToxicShocker ....
I was in a hurry but next time!