Oregon Winter 2020

The Home Depot’s slogan:

“You can do it. We can Help!” seems pithy and affirming but the government does not like it….Doesn’t like that you’re thinking of doing it yourself because usually that means Without A Permit.In truth, many home projects can be done legally without city inspections and professional contractors. Moving/installing cabinets, vanities and countertops, installing floors, painting, replacing doors — all of these are cool and fine if you want to DIY and tell the city absolutely nothing.

Nada.

But what if…

You find yourself in need of a stand-alone mother-in-law unit for your back yard. You know, something simple — walls, roof, cute little window or two, with heat/electricity, maybe some plumbing thrown in there. You know, for the toilet and the sink and the little shower. Or maybe you have some extraneous guests/relatives moving in and not enough baths to handle the daily traffic. Seems like an easy enough thing to wall off part of the garage, laundry room, under-stair storage, basement, what-have-you, and just install a small bath. You know? Hey, no one ever parks in the garage. Sure would make a great bonus room for the kids! All of these or any of these could be great ideas, and you could probably knock them out in a couple of weekends with a couple of handy friends and a YouTube video.

Easy-peasy.

I am myself a devout DIYer and pretty much everything I “know” I learned from a YouTube tutorial, but let me issue a word or three of caution. First, YouTube –and other DIY sources–do not know your city’s code. They do not care about your city’s code. They will not come to your aid when your future buyer notices a discrepancy between your house’s recorded 1500 square feet and the 3100 square feet that is the current reality. Or the 3 baths when the record shows only 2. Some buyers are Fine, Cool and Whatever with it. But many will balk and even demand that you go to the city, ‘fess to your remodeling sins and get a retroactive permit.

The cities love these requests and not because you came in to come clean, but because they can use this opportunity to punish, to teach you a lesson. Assign you some expensive penance. You will not only be required to open the walls so the plumbing can be seen and inspected, they may ask you for ALL the WALLS to be opened so that each line electrical can be seen. A single toilet in a basement may spur a requirement for an entirely new 2-tank septic system. A perfectly simple garage conversion done 10 years ago will need to meet the New code that was Just Updated last week. In short, the cost of getting away without a three-figure permit is almost always four figures.

Think of it like paying a mob boss for protection. You pay up front, you’ll never have a problem. You don’t pay, they’ll roll ya for thousands more than you owed.

Worth it?

Nah.

Permit INFO: Newberg now has online permit applications, tracking of current projects and inspection scheduling at: https://trakit.newbergoregon.gov

McMinnville has forms online at: https://www.mcminnvilleoregon.gov/forms

Yamhill County is using the state’s online portal for most permit application, tracking and inspection scheduling: https://aca-oregon.accela.com/oregon