Permits & Inspection

Building permits are required for alterations to a home that involve plumbing, electrical, mechanical, or structural, that become part of the structure. In the City of Davis, the resale program will catch any unpermitted work and the work would have to be permitted and comply with current code, so there is a strong disincentive to perform work without a permit.

Permits are not required to replace appliances, light fixtures, ceiling fans, etc. The fees for permits start at $150 per trade and go up with the stated value of the work. Most permits require at least one inspection. Gas lines need a pressure test before they are hooked up. Ceiling fans usually require one or two extra trips to expose the fan mounting prior to inspection and then put them back together. Extensive plumbing or electrical work usually requires a rough inspection when walls are exposed and a final at the end. Electrical service upgrades are done in one day and require a “temp power” inspection before the utility will reconnect power and then a final inspection the following day.

When we do not have to be present for an inspection, we rely on clients to schedule inspections as their schedules allow. Homeowners are allowed to schedule “special circumstance” or “homeowner” inspections which have one hour windows. Inspections called in by contractors will be for any time between 8 and 12, 1 and 3:30 the following day.

If an inspection does not pass, the inspector will leave a yellow “correction notice”. We need to see a copy of this notice in order to make the necessary corrections. If you are worried about an inspector seeing unpermitted work while he or she is inspecting our work, it would only be a problem if there were a health and safety issue, or if they saw unpermitted work in progress. Generally, inspectors are only concerned with the work on the permit.