Do you really need to a permit and inspector to do work around the house?

[MC]

in my location, depends mostly on the amount being spent on any remodel activity.

[MC]

Where I live, one can do any plumbing and electrical without permits (may require inspection if reconnection of service is needed) for ones own proerty if residential.One has to be a licensed electrician to do work as the primary person doing the work for others or any commercial work. Still no permit required unless reconnection of service (or some major remodels, but that is covered under building permits)

I have know other locations in other states requireing a licensed electrician to do the work if to be covered under insurance.

[William Brown]

As you can see, there are as many answers as there are locations. Each governmental entity decides for itself what work needs to be permitted.

I'm not antagonistic about our local building department. Most of their people know what they are doing, and all of them know more than I do. I once asked them just when a permit was necessary, and they admitted it was not clear. Decorating doesn't require a permit; changing electrical fixtures doesn't; replacing a gas water heater does; replacing a gas stove or drier doesn't. If I have a question as to whether a permit is needed, I call and ask. Once I added some outlets, which required a permit. When they came out for final inspection, he said I had to put bushings at the ends of the conduit; I would have if I knew to, but I didn't, so I had to go back and put in bushings. When I did that, I put them into the installations that were here when I bought the house, too, as apparently they weren't required when that work was done. My electrical is grounded to the water supply, so the inspector checked to see if there was a jumper across the water meter (there was, but only because I had recently read about it in the newspaper and put it in myself). When I pointed that out, the inspector said that requirement was fairly new, but he always checked it even when the work was on a different part of the electrical system.

Interestingly, in my town, some tradesmen can become certified as self-inspectors, and when you use one of them, they don't have to get a permit, nor is there an inspection, but somehow the building department has come to an agreement that those registered tradesmen will meet code on everything they do.

In any event, permits here are inexpensive, and I take some comfort in knowing that someone who knows more than me is giving me advice.