I recently bought an older townhome in the city of Houston and a contractor is doing some remodeling. The main structural things are adding a toilet downstairs (very close to where a another toilet is) and also extending an upstairs loft (that looked over entry way) completely over the entryway connecting to the opposite wall (only about 6 ft x 6 ft floor added).

Contractor did the jackhammering for the bathroom at 2pm on a weekday but the neighbor next door didn't like the noise and called the city. An inspector came out and redtagged the property until permits are pulled for plumbing and blueprints provided for the addition (the drywall underneath was not completed so he could tell it was added).

It has been a real pain trying to get the permit and especially the blueprints the past couple weeks and this is holding up my project big time. I keep getting mixed information from the permit office, their only goal seems to be to get as much money as possible.

My property was built is 1971 and they don't have property blueprints on file.

Questions-
1) Do I need a builders permit ($400!) as well as the plumbers permit (another $400 they are charging!)?
2) Do the blueprints have to be drawn and/or stamped by a licensed architect?
3) Any suggestions to go about getting the blueprints for cheap?

Thanks

Are you in Houston? If so, contact RTT

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Are you in Houston? If so, contact RTT

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I recently bought an older townhome in the city of Houston

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Yep, sounds like you need to talk to RTT. Why didn't the contractor pull the permits ahead of time?

Gotta love busy bodies. I'd round up that f-ers lawn.

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Why didn't the contractor pull the permits ahead of time?

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This. Sounds like your contractor thought he could get away with bootlegging it. That usually doesn't end well. Just be glad the sheetrock wasn't up yet when you got red tagged.

Penalties for bootleg construction are DOUBLE permit fees. You should review your contract to see who is going to be responsible for that.

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1) Do I need a builders permit ($400!) as well as the plumbers permit (another $400 they are charging!)?

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First, who is "they?" If by "they" you mean the City of Houston, I'm going to go out on a limb and say either your contractor is lying to you or the numbers include the penalties. It is very common for contractors to charge a higher fee for permitting that includes the price of the permit plus their time and labor for obtaining permits, but they should be honest about it.

To answer your question, based on the OP, yes you need a building permit and a plumbing permit. You'll probably need an electrical permit somewhere along the way as well.

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2) Do the blueprints have to be drawn and/or stamped by a licensed architect?

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Not always. Usually a simple sketch will do, depending on the work being done. A residential addition may require signed and sealed drawings for the connection to the original structure or the foundation, but YMMV. I would go to the Permitting Center and see someone in Residential One Stop to figure out everything you need to do to get through the process. I've obtained building permits for my house with drawings I did myself.

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3) Any suggestions to go about getting the blueprints for cheap?

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I'm not in a position to recommend someone to you, but find out exactly what the absolute minimum amount of work requiring a signed/sealed drawing is then call around and ask for just that.

nm ... got to be professional here.

Email me at ryanthetemp03 at gmail I'll help you get it sorted out.

Just curious. Did you not know you needed a building permit or did your contractor tell you that you didn't need one?

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Just curious. Did you not know you needed a building permit or did your contractor tell you that you didn't need one?

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Funny thing is a lot of contractors will give you two prices - one for doing the job without permits and one for doing the job with permits. When I was shopping around for a builder, I contacted a builder who actually advertises on Maroon Book and he did just that. I hear it from a lot of people.

Any time a contractor does that, you should hire someone else.

Thanks for the help...I emailed you RTT....

Trying to get a hold of the inspector over the phone is typical government bureaucracy. But he is in the "occupancy" department, whatever that means. He isn't a plumbing or structural guy, which makes since as to how little information he was able to provide contractor when he came to play lord of my house.

This whole permit process is completely knew to me. I'm new to Houston but with as much crime, houses falling apart, neighborhoods trashed, etc it shocks me somebody can call the city and have an inspector out there with 24 hours at a relatively nice property that I am trying to increase the value of. That battle is gone though, just want to move forward at this point without give them tons of money.

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Trying to get a hold of the inspector over the phone is typical government bureaucracy. But he is in the "occupancy" department, whatever that means. He isn't a plumbing or structural guy, which makes since as to how little information he was able to provide contractor when he came to play lord of my house.

This whole permit process is completely knew to me. I'm new to Houston but with as much crime, houses falling apart, neighborhoods trashed, etc it shocks me somebody can call the city and have an inspector out there with 24 hours at a relatively nice property that I am trying to increase the value of. That battle is gone though, just want to move forward at this point without give them tons of money.

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Investigators are assigned to the Occupancy Section. That tells me there was a 311 complaint called in by one of your neighbors. Code Enforcement conducts between 2,500 and 3,000 inspections every day, so getting an inspector on the phone will not be easy unless it's between 7:00 and 8:00 am.

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He isn't a plumbing or structural guy, which makes since as to how little information he was able to provide contractor when he came to play lord of my house.

just want to move forward at this point without give them tons of money.

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You contractor screwed up. Time to accept that and pull the correct permits. It can cost you because of the lack of foresight from your contractor.

The contractor was nice enough to escort the inspector through the interior of the house and show him all the work that was being done. It substantially exceeds the description in the OP.

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The contractor was nice enough to escort the inspector through the interior of the house and show him all the work that was being done. It substantially exceeds the description in the OP.

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Go on...

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The contractor was nice enough to escort the inspector through the interior of the house and show him all the work that was being done. It substantially exceeds the description in the OP.

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I talked to RTT and he was helpful in advise. Hopefully I can get this taken care of soon.

My contractor (who I am getting frustrated with) did apparently make the mistake of showing the inspector way too much as I think he was trying to get on his good side. But the project does not really exceed what I said in terms of major structural items. The other stuff is one non-load bearing wall with a door to close off a room, replace light fixtures and ceiling fans, hardwood floors, paint, crown molding, re-tile shower, etc.

Cosmetic things (tile, crown, etc.) do not require permits.

I'm guessing that putting up a wall and creating a room could potentially require a permit. Also, I would imagine there would be some sort of electrical running through that new wall.

No, zero electrical or plumbing in new wall. Just drywall, wood, and a door

No light switch? No outlet? Seems odd. I don't think I have a wall in my house that doesn't have electrical or plumbing

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No light switch? No outlet? Session odd. I don't think I have a wall in my house that doesn't have electrical or plumbing

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IIRC one receptacle is required for every 12 linear feet of each individual wall.

I had you look that up, but yes, that seems correct, which I guess would explain why I have at least 1 outlet on every wall (minus some small bathroom walls and closets)

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No light switch? No outlet? Session odd. I don't think I have a wall in my house that doesn't have electrical or plumbing

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IIRC one receptacle is required for every 12 linear feet of each individual wall.

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So even if you wanted to avoid the electrical permit by not putting any outlets in, you can't. GENIUS!!

That requirement may only apply to new construction. In this instance it's a non-load-bearing partition wall.

Here is a quick cheesy sketch (I'm no designer) I made and not to scale. The wall I put up is max 8 feet including door. The room was open before and already had a light. There would be no reason to put electricity or plumbing through it.

This is my upstairs when I bought it before making any changes:



I don't have a picture of the changes right now (House is vacant during remodel)

Here is a picture of a neighbors unit I am trying to somewhat replicate (though I think theirs was built this way originally since it has a balcony:

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No light switch? No outlet? Session odd. I don't think I have a wall in my house that doesn't have electrical or plumbing

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IIRC one receptacle is required for every 12 linear feet of each individual wall.

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Thou shallst not have any spot on a wall that is more than 6' from a receptacle, measured along the wall, and including turning a corner. The idea is to prevent the need for extension cords. If you have a section of wall 24" or wider, it requires at least one receptacle.

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Thou shallst not have any spot on a wall that is more than 6' from a receptacle, measured along the wall, and including turning a corner. The idea is to prevent the need for extension cords. If you have a section of wall 24" or wider, it requires at least one receptacle.

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Does this apply to remodel of older homes? Any wall 2 feet or wider requires a receptacle? I find this hard to believe but I don't know much about code.

Underoos, are you saying that if I stand at any point along a wall in a typical room (living, bedroom, bathroom, excluding a closet, pantry, etc.) then I must be within 6 feet of an outlet? For example, if I start at a corner in my living room, I might be able to reach an outlet on Wall A within 6 feet and an outlet on Wall B. However, once I start moving down Wall A, I will no longer be within 6 feet of the outlet on Wall B, but of course will be within 6 feet on Wall A. Am I understanding this correctly?

Yes, which is why it is 12 linear feet between outlets. It ensures there is always at least 1 outlet within 6 feet of you at any point on a wall.

But, you may have an outlet 4' from a corner, and 8' down the other wall. Not always necessarily 6' from a corner.

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Underoos, are you saying that if I stand at any point along a wall in a typical room (living, bedroom, bathroom, excluding a closet, pantry, etc.) then I must be within 6 feet of an outlet?

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Yes. Use the lamp test. Imagine you have a floor lamp with a 6' cord. You have to be able to place that floor lamp at any point on any wall 24" or wider without an extension cord, even if it means turning the corner.

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Thou shallst not have any spot on a wall that is more than 6' from a receptacle, measured along the wall, and including turning a corner. The idea is to prevent the need for extension cords. If you have a section of wall 24" or wider, it requires at least one receptacle.

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Does this apply to remodel of older homes? Any wall 2 feet or wider requires a receptacle? I find this hard to believe but I don't know much about code.

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See Ryan's comment above. The house is old, but your wall is brand new. Off the top of my head, I don't remember if Houston adopted the Existing Building Code, which offers relief to certain requirements in certain cases. However, you'd be hard pressed to get around the receptacle requirement IMO.

You also need to pay very close attention to what the valuation of the improvements are with HCAD. If you exceed 50% of the total value of the improvements, you have to bring the ENTIRE structure up to current code. HCAD isn't the only way to determine those numbers, but it's the easiest.

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You also need to pay very close attention to what the valuation of the improvements are with HCAD. If you exceed 50% of the total value of the improvements, you have to bring the ENTIRE structure up to current code. HCAD isn't the only way to determine those numbers, but it's the easiest.

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Would that mean if my improvements we're worth $110,000 I'd be okay putting $50,000 into my house, or would I be screwed because once I put that $50,000 in it becomes worth $100k?