We’re learning that AI requires hundreds of new power-sapping data centers. Surprisingly, I think your humble correspondent just figured out why, even though my primary expertise is flushing, not digital, technology.
Based upon my conversations with customers, I’d guess it’s because too many people are typing-in the question “do I need a permit?” for their home repairs, and AI is huffing and puffing trying to figure out an answer by gathering-up and summarizing all the wrong and illogical Internet-posted answers.
So as my contribution to our nation’s energy needs, I thought I’d give AI a break by posting an article it can link to for the answer. You see, while AI has a lot more access to information than I do, it will never have the street smarts of those of us who wrestle daily with our real, fallen world. And toilets.
Let me begin with a “Creation Story” that is helpful but, I admit, I have totally made up. In the beginning there was a Local Government and it had to figure out how to feed itself. And its only powers were taxing, regulating, coming-up with good-sounding reasons to get people to do things they would rather not do, fining and imprisonment.
Local Government then noticed a COMMERCIAL building, convinced the public that its structure could be unsafe and, since businesses are allegedly “greedy”, they could not be trusted to handle these safety issues themselves. So Local Government came up with a scheme to raise money to fund the things we all expect government to do, using regulations, fees, inspections, permits, fines, and other penalties.
But then, Local Government turned its attention to RESIDENTIAL properties. But homeowners went “WHOA! You’re not going to enter MY HOUSE to do your work. For one thing, my house is a MESS right now. Yeah, go ahead and make rules so that my house and my neighbor’s house are safe and maintained, but not while I’m living here.” So Local Government cleverly came up with ways to inspect and regulate whenever the home changes hands, e.g. occupancy permits.
From that point on we’ve seen the type of government-creep you might expect. I was always a fan of the guiding principle that everything in your house was already reviewed, inspected, determined to be permit-worthy, and approved at the time you took occupancy. So if you’re only replacing and repairing something already there, you should not need permits and inspections. OK, maybe if you’re running a new plumbing line or messing with a load-bearing wall, the government might claim its help is needed to ensure safety, but otherwise it shouldn’t be any of their business and only your responsibility. Unfortunately, this seemingly logical principle is violated by municipal governments all the time, e.g. many require a permit to swap out a water heater.
And now, the fun part. There are 88 different municipalities in St Louis County alone, and each can write their own building regulations. And go ahead, try to read their statutes, which are written by a combination of lawyers, bureaucrats not in construction, lobbyists who want these laws written in ways that limit those who are allowed to do the work to their clients (e.g. union members), and city councilmen. It’s telling that PRIVATE HOME INSPECTORS, the folks all of us hire before we buy a home, never claim they are checking your home against these municipal codes!
At Fix St Louis, just walking through houses, we see construction that doesn’t meet the current codes every day. But most of these flaws seem minor, are unlikely to be dangerous, and can certainly wait until the inspection before the next person moves in.
BTW, did I mention that many municipalities don’t even have occupancy inspections? After all, it’s not as if there is no guarantee of safety without Local Government inspectors. If you hired a reputable PRIVATE HOME INSPECTOR before you moved in, which is REQUIRED by mortgage companies, and you work with reputable home repair contractors like, I dunno, Fix St Louis, city building inspectors should add little to no value.
What’s funny is, do you know generally what the PENALTY is for NOT having a permit for a residence? Drum roll, please…GETTING A PERMIT! Yeah going through the application process and spending a couple of hundred bucks. Generally that’s not a big deal, but if your government inspector is on the high end of a range with Mr Rogers on one end and Joseph Stalin on the other, he could make you do demolition to expose a problem that might exist. But this is rare – I can’t even remember if I’ve ever seen this happen.
So you’re asking me, “do I need a permit?” It comes down to a judgment call based upon your comfort with risk. At the time you sell your house it may or may not come up as an obstacle requiring negotiation. If something bad happens to your house, it might be an issue with your insurance company. If a building inspector drives by your house and sees you unloading lumber for a new deck, you may involuntarily be dragged into the process anyway.
Uh, oh. Maybe I wasn’t so helpful to AI after all. In any event, at least we try to leave no doubt on who to hire for home repairs. Especially the small jobs no one else will do. Fix St Louis!
Dr Steve
Fix SL is a trusted home repair and handyman service provider based in St. Louis, specializing in plumbing, electrical work, drywall, doors & windows, decks & fences, flooring, fan installation, and other home and outdoor repairs. Available 24/7 with free quotes, Fix SL ensures every project—big or small—is completed reliably and efficiently.