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April 1, 2009
What can you do without permits?
Hi all,
What kind of work can be done while waiting for permits? I'm hearing the following may be possible but want to check if anyone here had additions/subtractions to the list..
1.Scraping peeling paint/plaster off walls & repairing walls with plaster
2. Stripping paint and/or woodwork
3. Installing sheetrock over existing walls if they are in bad shape
4. Painting
5. Refinishing floors
The following I've heard mixed responses:
6.?? Removing damaged plaster?? How far can this go before it is demo??
7. Fixture removal- sinks, toilets, (tubs?) if replacing with new in same place
8. Upper and base kitchen and bath cabinets removed and replaced if new staying in same location
9. Removing and replacing tile (floor, wall, tub surround) if replacing in same location
10. Trim/finish carpentry (repairing trim, molding, doors)
10. Taking up carpet and/or installing carpet
11. Other?
Thanks all!
Comments
none of that work requires a permit. But if you have some extra cash laying around I'm sure you can find some city agency more than willing to take it off your hands.
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at April 1, 2009 11:09 PM
i think we've been april fooled .....
Posted by: jib at April 2, 2009 12:32 AM
1-10 all good.
Posted by: denton at April 2, 2009 7:43 AM
Aww crap I fell for it. [facepalm]
Posted by: Bklyn Fire Alarm Guy at April 2, 2009 9:04 AM
I would add:
1. Replacing the toilet seat
2. Relocation of litter box.
3. Rearranging furniture.
However, if you are landmarked you cannot rake your leaves or prune your shrubs without prior approval.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at April 2, 2009 9:26 AM
I think you can also flush your toilet, water your lawn, feed the birds, kill rats and mice and change even a light bulb.
Posted by: Iknow at April 2, 2009 9:40 AM
How funny! This is not an april fools prank! I really have been told you can't do the bottom part of that list (and read it here too) and wanted to be super careful. I agree though, in retrospect it does look like a prank post - I wish I'd been that clever yesterday!
So, I guess that means all the list is ok (even taking down walls that are falling down and putting up sheetrock?). And thank goodness I can move the litterbox -that damn thing has been buggin' me.
Posted by: amybnyc at April 2, 2009 9:53 AM
Wow, I moved my house back 20' to build a garage in front. Should I have applied for a permit?
Posted by: cmu at April 2, 2009 10:52 AM
amybnyc,
Don't feel bad. I am paranoid as well. Esp since I am living in a Condo in NYC. I want to take a wall down and replace it with back-to-back cabinets. I have a feeling I will need a permit for this, which is stupid, but this is New York.
Posted by: Frudo at April 2, 2009 12:23 PM
Amybnyc,
In the former code (1965), there was a requirement that if you hit $10,000 cost on a project or had multiple trades (example a plumber, carpenter, and electrician) involved then a permit requirement is triggered. They have revamped these policies in the 2008 code, and I don't know if the $10,000 requirement is still in place or if this number has changed.
I can ask my expeditor next time I speak with her what she knows about this; sorry I don't have the energy to open the code book today.
Posted by: Smokychimp at April 2, 2009 1:39 PM
Thank you Frudo for the empathy and Smokychimp for the info :). It does seem like you can't be too careful these days with DOB fining for things like no smoking signs not being in place! An additional paranoia trigger is that there are three big jobs on the same street so lots of DOB around. Smokychimp, if you don't mind sharing the name of your expeditor we are in search of a good one. And again, thanks for the info.
Posted by: amybnyc at April 2, 2009 2:40 PM
Not that you should go by this, but we are doing a bathroom renovation involving most of the items on your list, plus multiple trades and over $10,000 in costs, and our contractor, whom I trust on this because he does a lot of work in coops (as well as trusting him in general), told us that a permit was not required. Although I don't think neighbors would complain about noise, as one is fairly deaf and the other never home, I was concerned because the contractor's assistant's truck broke down and he wasn't able to pick up demo materials for disposal, so some contractor bags and our old vanity were sitting in our front yard for several days, an obvious sign that work is being done inside. (Actually DOS picked up the vanity after we put it on the curb.)
Posted by: supersleuth at April 3, 2009 4:31 PM
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