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Some fires are caused by "legitimate" accidents and some are caused by negligence. If the fire has been caused by negligence then you will have a problem. But an accidental fire will be covered whether you have a permit or not. That is what I was told when I looked into this.

But regardless, doing a full or partial basement without an electrical inspection is foolish.

Often when I inspect newer homes with finished basements that are riddled with electrical code violations and hazards, I notice that the sellers like to act STUPID!! They say things like "the guy said we did not need it inspected" or "the drywall guy said he knew how to do electrical" or "my friend said it looked good" or any number of stupid things. It's like they are in denial even though they deliberately looked the other way.

My motto - If you can't afford to hire the right people then don't do it at all.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

Andy: Do people typically get their basements inspected by the inspectors (i.e. outside house buy/sell situation) for a 2nd opinion on whether the work is done right or not? If not, should it be done? At what stage (pre-drywall or post-drywall or both)? What does it typically cost? Does having an inspection offer any kind of protection against insurance related claim in the future (i.e. inspector issues a certificate that can be given to insurance company indicating that work was done right and verified)?

[quote="Ronadt"]1. What is the process and what information do I need to supply?
- From the website, it seems like I will need to have proposed drawing of the layout. Anything else? [color=#BF4040]You need 2 copies 11x17 each of as is, and proposed. You can make them yourself.[/color]
- How much is the cost? From the website it seems like the cost is $0.45 / sq ft.[color=#BF4040]It's based on the square footage of the finished area, yes.[/color]
- How long does the permit take? How strict is the approval/rejection process based on the plan?[color=#BF4040]They made notes and minor modifications on my plan, but it was approved in 10 business days[/color]
- Does the cost go up if I build a room in the basement or a bathroom vs. just drywalling the edges?[color=#BF4040]It's based on the square footage of the finished area, but I'm not sure how much work qualifies as "finished".[/color]
- How long is the overall process (time wise) and how beurocratic is it (i.e. do I just submit the paperwork and get it stamped, after paying $$ or do I have to show up to random meetings and justify / get neighbour's approval etc)?[color=#BF4040]10 days for approval of drawings. No meetings, or neighbours' approval required for basement finishing[/color]

[color=#BF4040]After the initial building permit, you call in inspectors at various phases. There are different inspectors for different things. I imagine part of the permit fee covers their salaries. If you call by 3pm, they'll come and inspect the next day.[/color][/quote]

Thank you for detailed response. What happens if the plan on paper originally submitted to the city changes a little bit? i.e. How strict are the town inspectors in ensuring that basement is done 100% to the plan? Of course, everyone has a "prelim" layout in mind, but I don't expect everything on the plan to be 100% the same.

If you are in Milton, can you tell me how much your property tax went up by? Give us an estimate of x sq ft of basement and $$ increase in property tax. Thank you.

I would only inspect the final product and would not, for liability reasons, sign off on a basement renovation while it is being done. Besides, why pay me and not pay for permits. Permits, after all, give you that assurance that things are done right so if you are not comfortable monitoring the process yourself then you should go through the permit process. People sometimes do "pre listing" inspections of their home before they sell to better prepare themselves and the house for the buyers home inspection but the good news for sellers is that 50% of home inspectors are lame ass and do not do proper or thorough inspections. Especially when it's done by an inspector that while not busy, delivers cookie trays to real estate offices.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

The permit process was quick, easy and not expensive. It gives me piece of mind that the job was done right. The town was great and the inspectors were also good. They did find that the insulation in the ceiling was a little to close to the pot lights which could have lead to a fire. They also found that the fire alarm in the basement was not tied in correctly to the other floors (not from finishing the basement) and helped me fix it which I would have never caught.

Willy

sounds like there is a good back story here. Please go on...

Now that's what it's all about. Make sure you push that as a feature should you ever decide to sell. Piece of mind is worth $$ to buyers as well.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

That's just the way it "often" ( not always ), is.

More here - http://www.independentinspectors.org/

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

Good thread as I'm considering finishing my basement soon with a reputable contractor - office, rec room, bathroom, 550 sqft.

I would definitely be getting an electrical permit and inspection, but I'm torn on the building permit.

Does anyone have any idea on what property tax increase I can expect? My home is currently about 1600 sqft. Finished area in the basement would be around 350 sqft as I'm leaving a sizeable unfinished area around the furnace/laundry to use as storage.

I'm not concerned about the cost of the permit as it should only be a few hundreds.

No one will exactly know what the increase would be at your home until MPAC gets your permit info from the town ( which is what they do ) and then access you.

Hence the problem that the bone heads at MPAC do not understand.

As long as the permit system is not transparent and a complete mystery to home owners there will be far more basements done without permits than with permits.

In other words - people should be able to know at the onset during the planning process what the extra taxes would be.

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For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

Personally, I prefer peace of mind. If your going to live in the home a while then definitely get permits so that you know it will get done right, and hire a reputable contractor if you don't do it yourself.

Also, the next buyer of your home when you sell will appreciate the peace of mind as well, and it can also open the market to more potential buyers when you do sell, specifically to those buyers would prefer to finish basements themselves so they know its done right. Having a permit can help you overcome that objection.

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LEON VAYMAN, BROKER
RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Realty Inc., Brokerage (MILTON Office)
Direct/Text: 905-616-7307
www.LEONVAYMAN.com
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My basement ended up being 700+ square feet and I went through the permit process. I did not even notice my property tax or insurance increase. I did call the insurance company and they had me fill out a form asking about value of contents, size and if permits were obtained.

Willy

Thanks for the advice, guys.