It can be very confusing when it comes time to figure out when and if you need an electrical permit. For homeowners business owners that decide to do some “do-it-yourself” wiring, permits and inspections may or may not be required. A licensed electrician may or may not be required.

If you are the owner of the building you can do wiring projects without a permit. You can do a limited type of wiring project without a permit. If you are the owner of the building and not occupying the building, you do indeed need a permit. You do not need a permit if you are the owner/occupant of the building. If you are the tenant, you need a permit.

If you need a permit, do you need an inspection? The rule of thumb is yes, if you need a permit, you need an inspection. Who does the inspection? Good question.

Thanks to Ron House of West Sound Electric, we have some useful guidance on where to start. Ron points us to WAC 296-46A and a handy checklist provided by Washington State.

If the work is “like-in-kind replacement” of such items as switches, lamps, receptacle outlet, snap switch, circuit breakers, circuit boards and motors rated at less than 10 horse power, you do not need a permit or inspection. If you are putting in new lights, receptacles, etc, you do need a permit and inspection. If you are working on wiring, whether replacement or new, you do need a permit and inspection.

If you are putting in telecommunications wiring/systems in your home you do not need a permit or inspection. If you are in a commercial building, and you are installing more than 10 new outlets, you need a permit.

When do you need that Electrical Contractor? You need that Electrical Contractor when you need an inspection signed off is the best rule of thumb. Need an inspection? You need a contractor.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means. Get a copy of WAC 296-46A and the handy check off list for a reference and you will have a great start towards sorting it all out. The consequences of not getting it right go beyond any potential fines, substantial as they may be. According to the National Fire Protection Association, every year there are about 38,000 home fires resulting in 1200 injuries and $568 million in direct property damage.

The bottom line is to do your homework, and if there is the slightest doubt, call the professionals that do this stuff for a living. You may well save more than just a few bucks. You may save a precious life. Do you need a permit? Yeah, probably you do.

Thanks again to Ron House for his wise counsel.