I think my city needs the contractor to be on site during inspection. And they gave a 4 hours windows for inspection. That means the electrician has to have someone there to wait for the inspector up to 4 hours. They probably don't know how to charge you for that. When we had our solar installation, the guy from the solar company was out in the street sitting in his car waiting for hours for the 2 inspections.
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Should I get a permit for installing a 240V outlet ?
- Thread starter Tezla1
- Start date
I think my city needs the contractor to be on site during inspection. And they gave a 4 hours windows for inspection. That means the electrician has to have someone there to wait for the inspector up to 4 hours. They probably don't know how to charge you for that. When we had our solar installation, the guy from the solar company was out in the street sitting in his car waiting for hours for the 2 inspections.
BigMskiman
Active Member
Agree totally, and it's not only the Telsa HPWS that will be questioned when I die.
Our city allows you to request a 4 hour window, but will not guarantee it. Instead, they just say its a 'preferred time' and someone needs to be available at the site from 8-5, or until the inspector arrives. Rather expensive and inefficient to have an licensed electrician sitting around all that time.
gilscales
Banned
As a General Contractor for almost 20 years I can't tell you how many times inspectors ask that things are done a certain way (even if its not in the current code) or ask for certain materials to be used (even if not called for in the current code) and I have changed many such items to please inspectors, more times than not they skip right over that item on follow up inspections (I am not saying I have never made mistakes either that inspectors have pointed out and I had to correct, because I have) an install like a 14-50 outlet is very easy to do and this is why most electricians retelling you it is not necessary to pull a permit (even though it is required) in the end it is all up to you and if it gives you piece of mind a permit is worth every penny
Every electrician that I contacted via Tesla's website insisted on a permit. I contacted two others who both said not to bother. I went with one of the two 'other' electricians and requested a permit. The electrician got the permit and scheduled the inspection, which cost me $300. I think that was $250 for the permit and $50 for the electrician's time to go get it.
Everything went fine, but the inspection never happened. I called the city of Atlanta to re-schedule the inspection as no one showed up on the scheduled date. I was told the inspection "already happened". So I have a copy of the permit, but the work was never inspected. I'm confident the work was done correctly, but I kind of feel like I didn't get enough for my $300.
I did get a $250 rebate from Georgia Power though.
It is common for Atlanta inspectors to inspect things from their truck. I have watched it many times.
Not even then. Buyers don't say things like "I see the water heater is only 3 years old. Can I see the permit please?" If they did, I would move on because it would signal to me that the sale process is going to be a pain with them.
But they couldn't inspect my wall connector installation in my garage from their truck.
roblab
Active Member
If you have intelligence and feel you can do the job, watch, learn, and do it yourself. MOST likely you will do it better than the highly paid electrician, no matter what you hear on this site from the electricians in the crowd. If you have doubts of your ability, of course, hire an electrician.
As to permitting, it's another area where the county or city is just makin' money, what they do best. It's a racket, as noted above.
I wired my first house I built. Since it was relatively new to me, I got a permit and asked for an inspection, which was done while I watched. When done, the inspector said, "Best I've seen. Wish more were like this." Working in housing for 6 years, I saw what he meant. Professionals know what they're doing, but it's not their house, and they're in a hurry. And it's not just electricians. Everyone in building trades has figured out the short cuts, the low cost trade-offs, and often the one doing the work is someone they've hired on for the season with little experience or knowledge. My next houses I either did myself or stood and watched the guy, being helpful (ie: a pain in his backside), "You missed tightening this screw down, fella.
." I also did a lot of the rough framing, the plumbing, the roofing... yeah, I know, enough already.
I've lived in this house for 12 years. I've had a RAV4EV and three different Teslas charging from two different outlets. No fires, no hot wires, no hot plugs, no breakers tripping... because I care where some random "electrician" or city "official" doesn't.
As to permitting, it's another area where the county or city is just makin' money, what they do best. It's a racket, as noted above.
I wired my first house I built. Since it was relatively new to me, I got a permit and asked for an inspection, which was done while I watched. When done, the inspector said, "Best I've seen. Wish more were like this." Working in housing for 6 years, I saw what he meant. Professionals know what they're doing, but it's not their house, and they're in a hurry. And it's not just electricians. Everyone in building trades has figured out the short cuts, the low cost trade-offs, and often the one doing the work is someone they've hired on for the season with little experience or knowledge. My next houses I either did myself or stood and watched the guy, being helpful (ie: a pain in his backside), "You missed tightening this screw down, fella.
." I also did a lot of the rough framing, the plumbing, the roofing... yeah, I know, enough already.I've lived in this house for 12 years. I've had a RAV4EV and three different Teslas charging from two different outlets. No fires, no hot wires, no hot plugs, no breakers tripping... because I care where some random "electrician" or city "official" doesn't.
gilscales
Banned
If you have intelligence and feel you can do the job, watch, learn, and do it yourself. MOST likely you will do it better than the highly paid electrician, no matter what you hear on this site from the electricians in the crowd. If you have doubts of your ability, of course, hire an electrician.
As to permitting, it's another area where the county or city is just makin' money, what they do best. It's a racket, as noted above.
I wired my first house I built. Since it was relatively new to me, I got a permit and asked for an inspection, which was done while I watched. When done, the inspector said, "Best I've seen. Wish more were like this." Working in housing for 6 years, I saw what he meant. Professionals know what they're doing, but it's not their house, and they're in a hurry. And it's not just electricians. Everyone in building trades has figured out the short cuts, the low cost trade-offs, and often the one doing the work is someone they've hired on for the season with little experience or knowledge. My next houses I either did myself or stood and watched the guy, being helpful (ie: a pain in his backside), "You missed tightening this screw down, fella.
I've lived in this house for 12 years. I've had a RAV4EV and three different Teslas charging from two different outlets. No fires, no hot wires, no hot plugs, no breakers tripping... because I care where some random "electrician" or city "official" doesn't.
There is a lot of truth to this, being in the business I am the only person that I know of that works on a house like it is a home I am going to move into but I have the luxury of making all my own choices as I only work on homes that we purchase to resell (flips) no one I know in the same business does what we do to these homes but because we go deep into these places and try to cure ALL the problems we find before putting them back together we have had only one problem that was major and cost me over $10,000 to fix AFTER the sale (Lumber Liquidators Bamboo floors) other minor stuff pops up sometimes as we have never lived in the homes but even then I fix them as I like a good reputation.
Over the years I have gone through many Sub Contractors, they just don't get it, they want to cut corners and I ask them "How much more will it cost in time and or materials to do it the right way?" often it is pennies!!! but they still say "this way is good enough" and "you aren't moving in are you?" well those guys don't do any work for me anymore and now i'm happy that I have enough good subs that know how I like things done and they bid the jobs accordingly, I would rather pay more to get things done right the first time!
No, they won't, but a home inspector might. I think permits have their place. Obviously, you want to make sure you're house is wired to code so it doesn't burn down or kill you, but the system is very flawed when it comes to small jobs. Here's another wrinkle, in my State permits are often reviewed by the tax assessors to trigger a property tax increase if you make improvements yourself, so they're not even used for safety, but as a tax collection mechanism.
gilscales
Banned
In any state that I know of if your remodel is enough money then the tax audit will be triggered
I know, but riddle me this, how do you think they find out you've remodeled something? They rarely send people out looking for remodels where I live. It's all down by examining permits. Also, some remodeling is not detectable from the outside of a house. In case, it's all done by examining the permits.
gilscales
Banned
Absolutely! this is the only way I know of when any interior remodel is done to extract that tax money!
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Conservative people will order the permit and feel that it is money well spent in case something goes wrong.
Frugal people will skip the permit and feel that nothing will go wrong.
No matter which type of person you are, a Tesla will draw massive amounts of current, over long periods of time. Permit or not, you want to do the job well, with high quality components.
Frugal people will skip the permit and feel that nothing will go wrong.
No matter which type of person you are, a Tesla will draw massive amounts of current, over long periods of time. Permit or not, you want to do the job well, with high quality components.
wbhokie
Member
Not just that... say you screw up and it causes a fire. If it is determined that your un-permitted electrical work caused it you might be SOL with your insurance claim.
That being said, I pick and choose what work I've pulled permits for. Small stuff, almost never. Large stuff, always.
That being said, I pick and choose what work I've pulled permits for. Small stuff, almost never. Large stuff, always.
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You must have better inspectors than we have. At least part of the problem here is the city does a poor job of identifying the difference between a small job and a large one. For instance ANY increase in impervious surface requires a site plan which according to a local inspector means the addition of a single stepping stone. His advice was don't tell anyone which means that essentially he saying that people should use their own discretion when pulling a permit. A poor system at best.
iaflyer
Member
I just installed a 14-50 and some assorted outlets in the garage. I had a friend help me, but I wanted it all inspected for my piece of mind. He came and pointed out some minor issues, denied the permit, then came back and reinspected. He never actually looked at the 14-50 or the 6-20 I put in but spent all his time on the 110v outlets. Ok... I know it was done correctly after it was all done.
It never hurts to have someone else look at your work - and with the amperage a Tesla will pull, it probably stresses the wiring more than a few lights.
It never hurts to have someone else look at your work - and with the amperage a Tesla will pull, it probably stresses the wiring more than a few lights.
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