get a permit or not for finishing my basement

[good2know]

What he said ^^^^^^^^^

The contractor is overpricing this so you wont get a permit which means inspections wont happen and they can do substandard work.

[gerapau]

Stay tuned for a future episode of Holmes Makes it Right!

[BartBandy]

You can see how Mike Holmes finds these people. Few people know how to hire a contractor. I'm worried we're watching an impending train wreck in extreme slow motion.

I mean, what contractor charges *more* for a *permit*?

[suezuki650]

Originally Posted by homie27

they are charging $5k for a permit. is that what all contractors do? plus its going to take a lot longer to finish the basement because the city takes forever to do this stuff.

They may charge you less without a permit as now they don't need licensed electricians or plumbers. They can cut corners and do things improperly as no one with construction knowledge will be examining their work.

If you ever have an electrical fire, your insurance may want to know if you got permits for your basement renovation.

Get the permits, get the inspections, even if it's cousin Viny doing the work.

[gerapau]

I think what most are saying is that you would definitely benefit from having someone who is knowledgeable inspect the work to ensure that the contractor is doing things correctly and to code. Getting permits for the work will provide those inspections.

Sure, not getting the permits may help reduce the amount of taxes that you end up paying but it could also end up costing you even more in the long run if something goes wrong with the renovations. Or if you try to sell later on the value of your home could potentially be affected by the fact you didn't pull permits. And as oakvillhomeowner mentioned on your other topic, you have come on a public forum and given everyone your full name and the town you live in and said you might not get permits. If the city of Vaughan sees this and investigates you could end up having to pay the back taxes anyway AND having to get the permits after the work is complete. Having to bring everything up to code at that time could get very expensive.

[homie27]

ok you guys convinced me. I'm getting a permit.