In Massachusetts, they made it illegal for homeowners to perform plumbing installations of any kind. The code enforcement personnel are instructed to write citations for a property owner whenever they see old plumbing fixtures placed out for trash pickup. They even went as far as severely limiting the availability of plumbing hardware at retailers, even the big box stores.
So what is the solution? These people just go across the border to New Hampshire, Vermont or Rhode Island to buy this stuff at the very same big box stores.
Many drugs are illegal to buy, sell, possess or consume, but it has been shown for decades that this cannot be curtailed. How our governments will ever be able to address that issue is beyond me.
I'm in agreement that encouraging proper installations, permitting and inspections is the only way to go. Many people fear the inspector as someone who is their foe. If AHJs focus their energies upon fixing this image, I think that they'll find more of a willingness to be compliant.
Many community college systems offer homeowner-oriented programs to learn basic trade skills. Often, the instructors are contractors themselves. This stands the potential of being a win-win situation because for every student who IS able to do the job themselves, there will likely be one who finds they are over their head before they start their project. My former employer actually picks up quite a bit of work from his students in addition to the beer money he makes for teaching the classes.
Telling someone that they aren't allowed to do something within the confines of their own property will never fly. In this case, the proverbial "you get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar" comes to mind.
