Skip Nav Bill’s Quality Electric, LLC shares an electrical safety word concerning the importance of permits for electrical (and other) work done on your home, depending on what is required by your local building department. Although this resource is focused on a specific county in Ohio, this issue of permits can touch all homeowners no matter where you live. When you work with a contractor, sometimes you have to do the research yourself to determine if a permit is needed for the work you want done in your home so that if it is required, you can get a qualified electrician, etc, to do the work right in the first place. This helps protect you and your home from the possibility of shoddy work being done, which can lead to dangerous circumstances, including the possibility of fire and fatality concerning electrical work. Bill’s response addressing this permit issue: “This has not always been the case, but, at this point in time, in the state of Texas, most municipalities require that if any new wiring such as conductors, cable assembly, etc, meaning, if you add plugs, lights or switches, and if it’s over 30 volts, require that a permit be issued and the work be inspected.” He continues: “Sometimes a homeowner doesn’t want a permit issued because they don’t want a city inspector telling them they have to upgrade certain items in their home. Or they do not want the project to take longer, especially on a remodeling job where multiple inspections are required. It is still in the best interest of the homeowner to have a permit issued when it is required.” Bill also says that getting a permit issued does cost more because of the extra time involved by the contractor to obtain the permit and to meet with the inspector to go over the work that was done. However, it is still in the homeowner’s best interest to have a permit issued and electrical inspections done for their safety. Stay Electrically Safe and Smart as a homeowner and stay protected when having work done in your home! Special Thanks to RecordPub.com, to Mike Sever, and to Randall Roberts, Chief Building Official of Portage County, Ohio, for the article, Portage County Building Officials Remind Homeowners to Get Permits for Work. 