Will inspector check for other unpermitted work?

I recently bought a house in queens that has done some work without a permit but nothing you can see from the street. I would like to put in a new stair from the front yard to the basement level and would require some excavation and enlarging or an existing window + light well. Since this is going to be visible from the street, I am thinking of pulling a permit for an ALT2 self cert. How likely is it the inspector will come? and if so would they check for other work? Do I have to let them in at all since the work will be on the exterior only?

cjc25

in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 4 years and 1 month ago

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agdipierro

in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 4 years and 1 month ago

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About 20% of self certifications are audited and, once audited, the building department can ask for anything they want. Be careful.

cjc25

in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 4 years and 1 month ago

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Thank you both for the advice. I consulted with my expeditor and architect, both believe since we will be pro certing such a small project there’s a very slim chance this would be audited and if so, it should be only for the scope of work which is on exterior (no interior access has to be granted). Looks like I will be moving forward and pulling permits.

stevecym | 4 years and 1 month ago

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No, the back yard wss accessable through a common drive. Now that you ask, i bet an inspector would have asked to go through the house as if there was no rear access. For us, just the suggestion was a show stopper.

cate | 4 years and 1 month ago

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Steve, did they need access through the house to the backyard? OP, doing new work without a permit is asking for trouble. Consult with your engineer, architect or expediter on the question you have asked here.

cjc25

in Dept. of Buildings (DOB) 4 years and 1 month ago

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oh man, that doesn’t sound too good. If i proceed without a permit, are the fines pretty hefty if I get caught? Would it be better to just try to get the work done then file to legalize an existing condition?

andriywww1990 | 4 years and 1 month ago

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i was once considering a project for someone that involved some steel work and footings at the back of the house. it would have been filed and required an engineer (i do not do steel work, it was for someone i knew). we brought the engineer in to get the process started and he looked at the back of the house and then inside and said “first thing, this will have to go and if this is illegal, you will have to make it legal” . these were minor things but when i said “why, they are inside?” the engineer said “does not matter, if the inspector says open that door, we have to open the door and if we do they become a problem”.

i cannot recall if this job rose to the level of something that would guarantee a visit from the engineer or not. i think once we let them on the property they become a problem.