Interesting Canopy

[scook]

Looks like something we’d throw up in a hurry to keep the plans dry on a job site. I think we have way too many laws but there should be one against that.

[SkunkBoat]

Originally Posted by scook

I think we have way too many laws but there should be one against that.

In my town you need a permit to build a deck.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by SkunkBoat

In my town you need a permit to build a deck.

I'm selling one of my houses. (The one in Wayne, NJ) In order to get a CCO (Continuing Certificate of Occupancy) I needed to put up some sheetrock on one side of some bare framing in the basement. I had to get a permit to do the work... (less than 2 sheets of 1/2" wallboard). Can anyone tell me why anyone needs a permit to put up wallboard in their own friggin house????? The towns around here are totally out of control. It's really nothing but legalized extortion in most cases.

[scook]

You answered your own question - the towns are out of control and it’s legalized extortion, similar to Portland on the left coast.

I’m building green certified homes here, partly because I do agree that energy efficiency is good and partly because I pay the local green organization $1400 and get back around $4-5000 in incentives from a local government agency commissioned to encourage energy efficiency. I’m actually getting some of everyone’s “tax dollars at work”. I’m not doing it in the City of Portland because they’re even further over the top with regulations than the surrounding areas.

A “green” government agency does a detailed “energy scoring” analysis of every certified home, but in Portland even if a house is almost new and has that energy score report, when it’s sold, it has to have ANOTHER energy scoring report done at added expense to the seller.

You’re definitely right about it being out of control!

[Destroyer]

The damn thing of it is that no one seems to remember why permits were ever needed in the first place. Back in the 30's my grandfather built his house by himself (a 2 story colonial that is still standing today and sold a few years ago for over $500,000) in Bellville, NJ. Number of permits required to do the job? Zero!
But in our history there were crooked contractors that would do a job with shoddy work or materials and the homeowner would get less than what they paid for. They complained to the town fathers trying to get some relief and the idea was born to allow or "permit" contractors to do work on a persons house and then subject that work to a final inspection by a professional before the contractor could get paid. It was to protect the homeowner from bad contractors. But as time rolled on, towns began to realize that this could be a good revenue stream for the town, so they increased the fees to not only cover the paperwork and the inspection but to make a bit of a profit also. At the same time they began increasing the laws to cover more and more items, and they changed the laws to require that not only contractors but also the homeowners had to get those permits. (All ostensibly to "protect" the homeowner from shoddy work). So the obvious ones like framing and electrical and plumbing gave way to things like installing kitchen cabinets, sheetrock, hot water heaters, sheds, decks etc., etc. Things that the average homeowner used to be able to do all by themselves without a permit. The towns keep raking in the money and increasing the items that need their permission to be done. I would not be at all surprised to someday read that you need a permit to paint your house, and you must first submit the color choices to the town for their approval. total bull$hit!!

By the way... in Wayne, if you rent your house, you need to get it re-inspected (cost $100) every time you change renters.

[SkunkBoat]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

I'm selling one of my houses. (The one in Wayne, NJ) In order to get a CCO (Continuing Certificate of Occupancy) I needed to put up some sheetrock on one side of some bare framing in the basement. I had to get a permit to do the work... (less than 2 sheets of 1/2" wallboard). Can anyone tell me why anyone needs a permit to put up wallboard in their own friggin house????? The towns around here are totally out of control. It's really nothing but legalized extortion in most cases.

NJ just passed a bill reducing permitting requirements for things the are actually "repairs and/or maintenance" such as roofing, siding, drywall, plumbing fixtures, etc. I just read that in the paper 2 days ago. A lot of towns are pissed.

That being said, there were a lot of idiots doing shoddy and dangerous work that caused the permit/inspection routine to become necessary...then it went to far...

[scook]

Yeah Skunk - it’s like the small town lone cop with a bicycle and a radar gun that reads to 1/100 MPH giving tickets to anyone who makes the numbers blink - nothing to do with safety.

I’m with Destroyer (as usual) that government ALWAYS gets carried away with regulations - bureaucracy is like cancer. I definitely get frustrated with some nit picky building code provisions and more so with one really anal retentive inspector we have but I think on balance, in this market, we need the codes (though I could,do,with fewer of the really stupid provisions). There are a lot of stupid and dishonest people in the business and not just the little guys. I hate to think what some of the giant builders would foist off if left unregulated. The joke here about a huge national builder (even among their superintendents when you get them alone) is that they build the cheapest crappiest house they can get past the inspectors and then put lipstick on the pig.

Just my two cents.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by SkunkBoat

NJ just passed a bill reducing permitting requirements for things the are actually "repairs and/or maintenance" such as roofing, siding, drywall, plumbing fixtures, etc. I just read that in the paper 2 days ago. A lot of towns are pissed.

That being said, there were a lot of idiots doing shoddy and dangerous work that caused the permit/inspection routine to become necessary...then it went to far...

Interesting Skunk. Good to know. Thanks for the info!!.

I agree that there are idiots that should never be allowed near a hammer or screwdriver... much less an outlet or a pipe. I actually have no problem with electrical and plumbing inspections, and some regulations, like the spacing between balusters (slats) on a banister are actually good safety rules But the size of a kids swing set or a shed for example, or it's placement on your property should be your business, not anyone else's and should not require a permit, nor should a deck below a certain height, etc. As long as it's not a safety issue a permit should never be required.

[scook]

Exactly right!

[inaforty]

Permits for new construction is understandable.
Permits for sheet rock, door replacements, decks, etc is a bunch of BS that try to make you hire licensed contractors.

Now that's just my opinion.
Way to many BS laws.

Back to the custom canopy. He could have installed a standard bimini top for less $$$ doesn't make sense unless you were going to use it as a sundeck.