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Overheard a homeowner say they didn't need a permit for a simple outlet swap
Was grabbing parts at the supply house and some guy was telling the counter guy he was moving a outlet 3 feet over in his basement and didn't need a permit. Counter guy just nodded but I wanted to chime in. Around here even a small relocation can trip you up if the inspector catches it later. Anyone else run into DIYers who think permits are just for new builds?
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janah831mo ago
The thing is that permit requirement usually comes down to more than just the wire gauge matching the breaker. A lot of basements have weird stuff going on like old cloth wiring or junction boxes buried in walls that nobody remembers. Moving that outlet three feet could mean tying into a circuit that's already overloaded or worse, exposing some hack job from the 70s that was never up to code. Inspectors around here will flag you for the smallest stuff too, like not having the right box fill or forgetting the nail plates. People just don't realize that permit isn't about the outlet itself, it's about making sure the whole setup behind it is safe. That counter guy should have said something because now that homeowner thinks he's good and might end up with a bigger problem later.
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spencer_coleman1mo ago
So what happens when the inspector finds that old cloth wiring during the permit check?
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