Importance of Building Permits

When buying a house one of the most common deficiencies we find in homes during an inspection is the lack of permits when work is done on the house.  Whether you are having a new electrical panel, new furnace, garage being built, or finishing a basement these all require permits to be pulled and the inspections to be performed on the items in question.  Having correct documentation for things that change in the house is essential in the case something catastrophic like a fire or flood takes place and the insurance company has to step in.  If these have no been checked by the city the insurance company might not cover the damages.

Most permits are usually posted in the house at some point.  In new houses permits are generally no longer displayed.  With regards to new work to the electrical or furnace for example there are inspections tags that are visible in the basement in most cases.  The yellow tags for the electrical will be found on the electrical panel and the HVAC tags will most likely be on the cold air return next to the furnace.  In the last ten years our city has gone a long way to upgrade their system and permits are usualy tracked closely.  You can usually call the city to find out information on the house you are wishing to buy.  Remember the more information you can get on the house the better experience you will have.

The two yellow tags on the electrical panel are for work done.  These were for the hot tub and house

The yellow tag and green tags are from the city for works that has been done when the house was built.

The green tag on the cold air return is an inspection tag for the furnace replacement

For more information on permits here are the city of Calgary pages regarding them

City of Calgary Residential Permit Information
City of Calgary Electrical Permit Information
City of Calgary Plumbing and Gas Permit Information
City of Calgary Mechanical(HVAC) Permit Information
City of Calgary Demolition Permit Information