Not to mention if you flood your basement or burn something due to electrical issues the insurance company could ask for your permits. Even if it passed there would likely be an investigation which could bring out some nasty skeletons in your basement! "Looks like your tub flooded the basement. Oh, your plumbing passed so its okay! Oh wait, this tub wasn't here during inspection, sorry Mr. Tony, the flood is your problem, so long see ya!"

I'm really wondering about insurance companies denying a claim if no permit was issued. Guess would need to re-read the fine print on the policy but don't remember seeing the clause "no permit, declined".

Could see problems if there was a gross violation, like the lights from the grow-op, powered by the bypassed meter causing a fire, but really questioning that if I wired a receptacle, without a permit, to code using the proper wire, enclosures, etc...

As for the value of permits my little rant. I was at my new place when the final occupancy permit was signed off by the City. The gas line (no meter) had yet to be hooked up, so technically no heat or hot water, deck construction was approved (spacing between boards etc) though all the timber was sitting on the ground in the backyard still with the steel banding. Later the permit process frustrated me with the builder as got from him "City signed off, to bad" and from the City 'pay an engineer to produce a report, we'll admit we missed, the builder will walk and we'll come after you until fully resolved to our total and complete satisfaction or you can just drop it'.

I'll be honest and say I didn't permit for the electrical I did for my tank. If it becomes a problem when I sell the house then I'll yank them out, it would take me all of an hour. I had an electrician friend of mine look it over, said it's all good.

I do plan to finish off the unfinished portion of my basment with a bathroom and another spare beadroom and I will permit for those changes.

I didn't permit for the reno's to the main floor but I technicaly didn't move anything, plumbing didn't change, electrical didn't change, a couple outlets may have been moved a few feet but nothing was rewired. I could get hasseled for removing a load bearing wall and putting in a header but that can be inspected from the attic if I ever needed to have it done.

I don't really mind the electrical not passing. Even though part of it not passing was simply my misinterpretation of what constituted "ready" and part of it was "Ok I have to redo some of it", the list is not that bad, won't take me more than a couple days and after that it will all be to code.

What irks me is the plumbing. I plan to put a bathroom downstairs eventually but finances being a problem these days, my plan was to sit on it until well into the future. But since taking time off work to go to city hall and all that is a hassle, I decided to get the permit now and be done with it. I *thought* all I needed to show for the plumbing to get passed was just a "rough in" - roughly, the water comes from here..and roughly the water drains into that pipe there. The bathroom has a toilet and sink rough-in already but only one capped-off T. I was just going to T into this stem for the bathroom sink and mini-kitchen sink that sits on the other side. But it turns out that this isn't good enough, I need to rough-in BOTH T's for the sinks. Ok, no big deal there either: a hacksaw and $10 worth of ABS and ABS cement and I'm done.

The tank room sink is what really has me choked. Never in a 100 years did I anticipate I was going to be failed based on a laundry sink that I use to rinse a protein skimmer with because it drains into an existing floor drain. What has me doubly-choked on the whole thing is that when I built the house, I ASKED FOR A SINK ROUGH-IN. Between my cost-sensitive spouse and a housebuilder's sales lady who was doing her best to keep our build costs under control, I was out numbered and this option was struck from the list "because the floor drain is good enough." So the cost for saving $100, 6 years ago, is now today I have to foot probably about $1000 bill to have this work done. Even if I were to do it myself it will be HUGE pain to route a vent through the ceiling trying to work around HRV and furnace vents and who-knows-what just to tie it into the nearest pipe stem that's vented all the way up to the roof.

I'm just incredulous when I think of it. I thought it would all be about how the lines tie in and any issues with pipes pressing up against nails or whatever that could cause a leak. In the end, he couldn't have cared less about the supply lines. That part of the inspection was done in less than a minute and it was all fine. It was the drainage that he was all incredibly anal about and really the inspection was done in 2 minutes because he just ended it when I told him the tank room sink was draining into the floor drain. He was in and out in less than 5 minutes. And I had to take a day off work and sit at home and wait for 8 hours for that 5 minutes that ended so rather dissatisfactorily. I am NOT HAPPY. :(

I am giving serious consideration to "officially" removing the laundry sink from the plans.

With the electrical - everything - I understand there's a safety issue. After consideration, I fail to see the safety issue of a laundry sink that drains into a floor drain. Is the concern that the pipe could get kicked loose and water drains onto the floor? Is that any worse than tripping while carrying a bucket full of water?

I don't know. It's not the sort of thing I dare to say "I told you so" to my wife but at the same time I'm really annoyed with myself that I didn't stick to my guns back then.

OMG Tony....My head hurts just reading all this! So sorry to hear! This is just crap when you really think of it! Super bummed that you`ve run into these obstacles!:sad::sad:

I wonder how much longer I can stretch this tank journal without there actually being a tank. In fact .. I can't think of a single incidence of a more comical build where there have been so many challenges and obstacles and not a one of them have anything to do with actually running or building a TANK. :neutral: If there was a prize for "longest start ever" I would hope I'd be in the running for it by now.

Anyhow, tried to hire a friend of mine who's a licensed plumber to take care of the drain install. When we finally connected and I explained what the situation was, he stopped me. He said, "You don't need to hire me or anyone, what you're doing is not against code. It's called an indirect drain, and as long as it's into a properly vented and trapped floor drain you're not doing anything illegal or against code. In fact give me the inspectors name and number so I can call him and talk to him about this."

Unfortunately I can't take him on that offer as the inspector did not put any of that info in his deficiency report. In fact, the whole report is a bit ... lacking. It just says "Homeowner is no ready for inspection." Stellar. I'll be calling for another inspection and this time I'll stand my ground a little more I think. 1) Challenge him on the drain issue and press for an explicit listing of what item of code it's in violation of. 2) If there are actual deficiencies, they need to be itemized and listed out explicitly on the report.

My gut feeling here is that he came at 10 minutes from the end of his work day (3:50) and had already mentally checked out of work. And I just said "DURF DURF DURF OK ! THANKS !" ... That won't be happening again.

But, since I got all geared up for renting a jackhammer anyhow, and I have to move a poo pipe for toilet placement in the bathroom, I've rented a jackhammer for tomorrow and will be going at the concrete in there. It's sort of the last weekend I'll have for a bit where Linda won't be working and thus I won't be spending the weekend entertaining my two boys (aged 4 and 1, the real reason I can't get much progress on this build some days..), so might as well take advantage of it.

Anyhow, not sure if anyone's listening anymore but this is the closest thing I have to a blog so there you have it. :lol: Thanks for reading..

:sleeping: .. Wh.. whuh.. what, huh? Did someone say something??

Hehe, just jokes Tony! I think that's actually pretty good news about the plumbing! Man that would royally **** me off, how can someone that's an "inspector" tell you that something is not to code when that's an outright lie?? Don't they have a code of ethics?! Jeez Louise! Too bad he didn't leave his name. I would almost call city hall and give them a stern word. I'm sure they have a record at city as to who came out to your house. But then I guess you don't necessarily want to go rocking any boats.

Yeah, I figure, either I didn't explain it right to the plumber (but I did show him pictures), or, the inspector didn't have a full understanding of what he saw either. I'm trying to extend him the benefit of the doubt about the "It's the end of the day, I dun wanna work no more today" thing but I have to admit it feels like a stretch. He was in and out so fast. It was less than 5 minutes from the time he walked in to the time he walked out. He didn't even really look at the sink. He just glanced at it and said "No."

I did think about calling the city to press this further but yeah, at this point, I just want the darn thing signed off so we can all just move along onto bigger and better things. Like maybe putting water in the tank. :neutral: If the second inspection turns out the same, I'm just going to pull the sink out and and say "Oh look at that. No more sink there. NOW please sign this off."

:lol:Geez Brett.....I nearly spit beer on my puter screen:lol: