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If a preowned house finished the electronic wire transformation for many lamps without permit...

lily88's picture

If a preowned house finished the electronic wire transformation for many lamps without permit... (post #207477)

lily88 on Wed, 02/13/2013 - 00:02
in

If purchasing a preowned house with electronic wire transformation for many lamps and the last owner hired contractor to finish them without  permit, what should I do to get the necessary documents from government for the electric wire tansformation?

 

 I heard that the walls will be requested to be broken in order to get inspection for the electric wire transformation by government. Is that true? That will be too too too trouble. 

-A +A

Please- (post #207477, reply #1 of 10)

by
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calvin in reply to lily88 [original] on Wed, 02/13/2013 - 04:20

call your inspection dept.

A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.

Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.


http://www.quittintime.com/

 

call your inspection (post #207477, reply #2 of 10)

by junkhound in reply to
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calvin [original] on Wed, 02/13/2013 - 04:46

call your inspection dept.

 

yep, but NOT from her own phone, public phone (if you can find one)  !

PS: why is OP worried about getting an inspection, just general fear generated by the code weenies?  Was the contractor competent, o no way of knowing?  Got any friends who know electricity to give an opinion?

Someone familiar with electricity can tell just by looking at a few externals if the contractor knew what he was doing or not.

ok (post #207477, reply #3 of 10)

by
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calvin in reply to junkhound [original] on Wed, 02/13/2013 - 05:28

Whatever tactic works.

She's looking to buy this place.  If there's been unpermitted work done-who pays?

Sounds like the place is in Ca.  Know nothing about the state except what's been written.  The one who should step up is the guy that made public his quest for a new place here and on the classic board.  He obsessively studied the backgrounds of the places he looked at.  He knows the [JOBSITE WORD].

 

Again, who pays?   How's the sale contract written?  If there's this much fear, back out.  If the place is THE place, figure the correction costs, make an offer and see what happens.

A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.

Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.


http://www.quittintime.com/

 

By "electronic wire (post #207477, reply #4 of 10)

by DanH in reply to lily88 [original] on Wed, 02/13/2013 - 06:27

By "electronic wire transformation" we're assuming you mean installing and wiring the electrical outlets in the house.

This may have been done well or poorly.  One can assume it was not a licensed electrician or he would have pulled a permit (unless they're outrageously expensive in your area), but a competent "handyman" can easily do this sort of job while meeting "code" and avoiding anything hazardous.

(One wonders how you learned that the work was uninspected, BTW -- did the previous owner confess this?)

If you're considering buying this home, the two things that have been suggested are good:

  1. Have someone knowledgeable (doesn't have to be an electrician, but someone who knows basic code and techniques) inspect the insides of several outlets to see how they are wired.  If not wired well then drop the house like a hot rock, or budget having it rewired.
  2. Call the electrical inspector (on someone else's phone) and ask what the typical procedure is in your area to get a retroactive inspection.  Likely a few walls would need to be opened, but not everything, if no red flags are found.  And there would probably be extra fees or fines associated with this.

If you've already bought the place then skip #2 for now, but definitely do #1.


Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.  --Herman Melville