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Is Permitting for Foundation Repairs Required?

5lihm7In short, YES.

Around the country there are differing requirements for contractors to pull permits for foundation work. It’s one of the reasons that many out of state contractors come to here to Arizona to provide services and don’t realize the importance of permits here. Over time, Arizona Building Officials have increasingly closed loopholes in requiring permits.

Why should permitting for foundation repairs be required? The answer is that repairs are being made to structural components. If spacing, point loads, and other structural calculations are off, the structure may not perform. And later when it is sold, unsuspecting buyers could be harmed by buying a house that does not perform. If proper protocols are followed, special inspections are required. These are done by private third party inspectors that seal their work with an engineer’s seal. These inspections verify the pile driven capacity to make sure it has the capacity to hold up the loads required of it.

As Homeowners, why should we care about permits? At some point the house will need to be sold. The Realtor Seller Disclosure Statement requires disclosure of any work done that was done that required permits. How can you disclose the repairs and get credit for them if no permits were pulled? I suppose a seller could just forgo disclosing any foundation repairs at the risk of being sued later….. but that is a risk most people don’t think is worth taking. Realtors are required to disclose these repairs if they know about them and are required to withdraw if they are urged to violate their required disclosure.

 

What kind of hit does a Homeowner take on the price of the house if they disclose foundation repairs with no permits?

The bottom line for Homeowners... aka the wallet.

If you are contracting for foundation repairs and your Foundation Repair Contractor does not offer permits, you need to be asking why not? And insist that permits are required for your protection. Although there is a cost to this and it does take more time…. It is a necessary requirement. This not only goes for helical and push piles, but more and more cities are also requiring permits for stem wall repairs as well. If your contractor is not offering permits, that says something about their experience, ethics and ability to perform.

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