Oh_Jeeze wrote:
Here's a silly question... so why would you pay for a permit and/or
inspector to inspect work you do inside your home?

Because it's the law, and often they can spot something wrong that you
missed.

Because if the worse happens and it was the result of your work and the
insurance company finds out, you may find yourself without insurance to pay
for the damage.

Because when it comes time to sell, you could end up in trouble.

Before someone
scolds me keep this in mind, I am a first time homeowner and I have
only been living in my home for a few months. What types of things
require permits or inspectors?

Depends on the local laws.

I recently painted some walls,
replaced a toilet, and added a light fixture outside my garage. I
have other things on my agenda for the next few years and I can't see
why I would pay someone to inspect my work. With regards to
plumbing, if you don't do it right you get immediate notification in
the form of a leak.

Not always. It is the stuff you don't think of or know about that will
cause problems. For example using two different metals in a connection
without insulation, may not leak right away but come two years later, it
could be a big problem.

The electrical stuff seems pretty trivial to me
since I am an electrical engineer with a masters degree.

There are a lot of things in the code, local or national that you would
not think of, but if pointed out to you, at least you would be able to
understand, maybe after the fire and death of a loved one.

Although I
must admit to having to look up the correct wire gauge for the
spotlight I added outside my garage. A follow up question would be
what if the previous owner did something without getting a permit or
getting the work inspected? Would I be responsible for paying for
those things?

Depends on local codes.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math