ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Permit Snafus...AHJs and Contractors Jump in

Permit Applications are not handed to me for Data Entry purposes, Instead I fill out the forms as part of the Tasks involved with obtaining Permits (typically as part of the Plans Examination process).

Prior to the Application forms being available On-Line, I would pickup several "Blanks" from the DBS Offices, and pre-fill the information prior to leaving.

Now the form(s) may be filled in via the PC, which is so much nicer looking!
If the Application is only a PDF "Printable Version" (no fillable fields), I create Form Fields on the Document, save the file for future use, fill-out a copy for the current Job, then Print out Two copies (one for Archives).

Along with the Permit Application, the submittal package for the DBS includes Cutsheets, Title 24, Part 6 "Binder Copies", relevant Specification Sheets, and a recent Printout of the Contractor's Information from the CSLB Website (Calif. State License Bureau).
This Printout shows License Status (Expiry Date & Class), along with Work Comp Policy status and Number.

When submitting to Plan Check, the Permit items are brought along for references. Once the Plans are stamped "Approved", the Permit Items get processed into an active Permit...

BTW, a Blank Check, or Checks is/are issued to me for payments to the DBS, and sometimes for the outsourced plancheck firm.
I carry Authorizing Agent Documents with me, but not too many Counter Staff Persons ever request to verify if I am Authorized to act in behalf of the Company.

-- Scott

Scott:
Thanks for the above.

What I'm alluding to in my last inquiry is:

Does anybody 'hand over' a signed/sealed (if required in your area) permit app without the job info or items being listed?

Like to builders, HVAC guys, plumbers ???

Coincidentally , my AHJ was explaining an 'open permit' to me today HotOne.

It's for one of those jobs that never really get done, but need checks along the way. Case in point is an old 9 unit apt/commercial building in town we've systematically weeded out the K&T on.

Because we really never know just how much we're going to do, until we start investigating, we simply have a running list that we 'check in' with our AHJ , who comes out when he deems it necessary

~S~

My little "Village" is going through serious growing pains. They just incorporated a year or so ago and immediately decided they wanted to own all of the zoning and permitting with nobody around who actually understood it. They are on the verge of being sued by the contractors because the permitting process is so screwed up. They also hired a full time "code enforcement" guy (tall grass and junk in the yard stuff) before they realized that virtually every residential street in the village is privately owned and people are just saying "get out" to him. He can't get through the gates of a gated community and the other old communities never had their streets accepted by the county. That means he spends his days riding around on the half dozen state roads or hassling people in the 3 small communities with county roads. The people in those 3 communities want to secede from the village and go back to unincorporated Lee County where the grown ups run the government.

Personally no.

There are reasons that I asked this question. There have been instances where an app comes into the office and there are questions regarding job scope vs. plans submitted.

Some of the responses or conversations with the ECs that signed/sealed the app, leave more questions than any expected response.

"I was never there"!!??
"What job??"
"Who's the builder"?
"Where is that"?
"silence"!!

Even more interesting is going for the rough inspection, and finding out that there's only the GCs people there, and they have no clue who is the EC!

Do you ever have cases where the EC was just listed on the permit but do not actually have the job? I was thinking about remodels or something like a water heater/HVAC replacement.

Greg:
Where I think you are heading are guys we refer to as "paper hangers". Yes, it's a known way that some guys generate $$$ just for the paper. But, it is not an easy issue to prove to the Board of Examiners, and for the few who went down that road, it's a lot of work to address this issue. Illegal?? IMHO, damn right!!.

Amazingly, I come upon a permit app with the Lic. EC that has a single digit license number. The signature is real, the seal is OK. I'm like wow!! Go to the site for a rough; SFD renov and addition, job is a mess. Call the phone #, leave a message; left a red tag at site. 2-3 days pass, I get a voice mail in my office , with a contact number. Excuse for mess was 'job was not ready for inspection, GC must have called to schedule.

Long story short, Many years back I worked for this guy. He was up in years back then. NJ lic. # are now in the 18,000 range. The guy I spoke to had no clue who "xxxxx" was, even though his signature is very readable, nor did he know where "xxxx" was. Funnier, "xxxx" is a white guy, and the guy on the job was African American.

"xxxx" used to hang out down with the rest of the NJ Snow Birds, in your home state, and probably is still there.

As usual, i'm in a pickle yet again......We roughed a small main street commercial store front a while back , had a rough inspection, addressed the small requests per AHJ, and never got called back for the trim out

Passing thru, we stopped in to find a thriving deli/cafe' yesterday

I took pix, and emailed the AHJ , asking if another permit was pulled for the finish, and if not ,how it assumed occupancy?

I've no response from him so far......what should i do? I don't wish to be liable for anyone else's work

~S~

~s~
Usual procedure I use for a situation like yours is to have the EC who has/had the permit & 'rough' to provide a letter stating the scope of the work he did. Letter is required to be signed & sealed. Letter goes into the jobsite files.

IF a CO was issued, it gets a little sticky. On your word, I would inquire with the GC/Responsible person, or the business owner as to who did the trim-out. Most times it goes 'easy'; my second option is a Notice of Violation with a Order of Penalty, that's the 'hard' way. Penalty ($$) is delayed by a few days IF people are cooperative.

A Change of Contractor to the 'trim' guy closes the issue. Hopefully the trim guy has the required license and insurance.

The letter from you is acceptable in the eyes of the State DCA, and gets you off the hook. Sometimes, my end of these type of issues can drag out for quite a while.

My thing; we all worked hard to obtain our licenses, and I look out for 'us', as best I can within the regs.