Carver is out of control...they said that I couldn't slide the insert in until they came by to make an inspection and that I should call them a couple days in advance and make sure that I'm there...yeah, that's gonna happen
Inspection, building permits and Home Owner's Insurance
- Thread starter kenstogie
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LOL not my rules..Oddly enough 25 years ago they were too lax..Carver is out of control...they said that I couldn't slide the insert in until they came by to make an inspection and that I should call them a couple days in advance and make sure that I'm there...yeah, that's gonna happen
Ray
If your installer is licensed in MA to do the install, CSIA is not required nor should it be required. Funny, many CSIA sweeps are NOT licensed to install (solid Fuel or Unrestricted Construction Supervisor) but are required by many towns prior to install.
Scott if I ever decided I would switch to pellets you'd be the 1st guy I would talk to.. At one point I actually did consider it but decided wood was the way to go for me because woodstoves work without power and you can cook on them. Pellet stoves have some upsides that I really like and I am quite capable in servicing the electrical and most of the part myself. The things I didn't like about pellet stoves is they tend to be noisy, require more maintenance and dry out the air along with creating some draftiness with all that air movement. The things I like are you can buy your fuel today and burn it right away, you can use a thermostat to control the heat and you can load a hopper once a day or so. That being said convenience has a price with a downside being with added complexity comes more maintenance and generally more spent on parts. I also feel the motors are relatively low budget quality at a high budget price tag plus the electronics will be proprietary in nature but that is to be expected additionally electronics tend to be obsolete within a 10 yr. window. I am an industrial licensed electrician so I know 1st hand how this all works. Woodstoves are relatively simple with little to go wrong and most items tend to be bone and stone technology easily repaired by most anyone. I think you will have a job for many years to come
Just my 2 cents,
Ray
blwells45
New Member
- Sep 18, 2012
- 47
Ken, up here in Washington County, I had to get a building permit that was signed by the local (town) code enforcement officer and then filed with the county. For home owner's insurance, they really wanted it professionally installed, however, when I told them that it would be inspected by the building inspector, then they were ok with it as long as it wasn't my "primary" source of heat. Since I'm not getting rid of my oil furnace, they don't consider the pellet stove as the primary source of heat so in that regard, all they need is a copy of the signed inspection by the code enforcement officer.
True, No inspection.
I forgot to add that they wanted an architect's drawing or something for me to submit.
Bill
mepellet
Minister of Fire
Do they want a floor plan or an architectural drawing with a stamp? Hope no stamp....
I think a layout sketch with dimensions, R-value and distance to combustibles would be what is needed. Essentially this is what I provided when I applied for the permit and the stove owners manual is the standard to meet. I would submit this with a copy of the hearth and clearance requirements from the stove owners manual.. Makes sense to me anyways lol
Ray
You have to get the CEO to sign off on the design, you present them with a sketch of your plan and a copy of the relevant parts of the manual.
The CEO can even refuse to honor a medallion, like anything, if you take exception there are avenues to appeal.
I went through this adding a deck this past summer, most folks don't even bother to get a permit to add one. I don't need the grief later on when they discover there is one attached to the house that they didn't get their tax revenue from.
The CEO can even refuse to honor a medallion, like anything, if you take exception there are avenues to appeal.
I went through this adding a deck this past summer, most folks don't even bother to get a permit to add one. I don't need the grief later on when they discover there is one attached to the house that they didn't get their tax revenue from.
MikeG
New Member
Since I am getting a new Harman XXV professionally installed tomorrow, I called my home owners insurance to see if they required me to do anything. They e-mailed me a 1 page document to have the installer fill out which lists the manufacturer of the stove, model, etc., and he also has to fill out the clearance distances on their blank stove drawing. Then I just have to send that 1 page form back to the insurance company with an attached picture of the stove with nothing further from their end to be done other then paying the extra $30.00 per year for my home owner's insurance. Then I also contacted my local zoning office to see if I needed to pull a permit to have this installed. The zoning officer told me that my township does not require me to either pull a permit or have an inspection, but he did say that the state of Pennsylvania does require me to have an inspection performed by a licensed inspector once the install is complete. I then asked him who in the state of Pennsylvania I would then be required to send this inspection report to, and he said nobody. You just get the inspection done and hang onto the report incase it is ever asked of me to produce it. Seems very cheesy to me. Why pay someone now to inspect it if I might never be asked to produce it? I might just not get that part of this process done, and if I am asked in 7 years from now to produce that document, then I will just pay someone at that time to inspect it. But why waste money on an inspection now if there is a really good chance that I will never have to show that document to anyone? Any other Pennsylvania guys run into this? What did you do?
Stegman
Feeling the Heat
Seems like not getting permits/inspections would make it easy for the insurance company to bone you in that kind of situation if something went wrong, as they could say "It was installed to the manufactuer's specification? Prove it."
MikeG
New Member
Smokey, yes that is usually the case with the government. Like in the towns where they make you pull a permit to install a stove, but then do not want to inspect it afterward, that is totally just to make money off your permit fee. No other reason behind it that I can see or they would want more from you (like a drawing, plan, combustible clearance distance drawing etc.,) then just your money. If they were truely concerned about safety, then they would also want to inspect it afterward. Just stupidity.
I live in MA and recently installed a woodburning insert and liner myself. Prior to my installation I contacted my city hall and they provided all of the code requirements,clearances, ect....Once my installation was done I had the local inspector come out inspect and certify it. His inspection consisted of no more than a visual of the connections to the liner to the cap and some quick measurements to combustibles. Took no more than 10 minutes. I will of course keep the signed certification on file. Beyond that I called my homeowners insurance company (Narraganset Bay thru GEICO) and they did not require any documentation at all with no raise in premium. They asked me if it was my primary source of heat and although I do plan on burning quite a bit, felt comfortable telling them that the stove was a secondary source of heat. Bottom line is I have an oil fired furnace which I would always consider the primary even though it may not be relied upon much if at all this winter. Not sure if the answer to that question changed the outcome of what they require but I doubt it.
I feel getting the inspection and using proper clearances was not only a must for safety but it shows some intent to comply with local laws. The fact that the insurance company verbally told me that I don't need to be concerned with any additional coverage was good news, but the more I think about it, I may ask to get something in writing or ask them to specify where in their policy it talks about wood burning stoves.
Like others have said, it comes down to specific requirements of who you're dealing with.
Good luck with the stove and enjoy!
I feel getting the inspection and using proper clearances was not only a must for safety but it shows some intent to comply with local laws. The fact that the insurance company verbally told me that I don't need to be concerned with any additional coverage was good news, but the more I think about it, I may ask to get something in writing or ask them to specify where in their policy it talks about wood burning stoves.
Like others have said, it comes down to specific requirements of who you're dealing with.
Good luck with the stove and enjoy!
Be smart and fax or scan and email your passed and completed stove permit.. Basically cover your butt is what I am saying as it will cost you little to nothing to do so...
Ray
MikeG
New Member
Unfortunately, that would be too easy since a permit is not required by my local jurisdiction, and even though the state is requiring an inspection, they don't want a copy of the inspection report unless they ask me for it down the road. I even asked "who can I send this too", and I was told nobody. Just keep the inspection report within your own records so you have it incase the state ever asks to see it. So that is the problem. Why pay $90.00 for the inspection now if there is a very good possibility that nobody will ever ask me to see this. Wish it was just that easy to e-mail it to somebody, so at least I could justify paying $90.00 for it, but considering the installer is going to install it by the book as well as per code because of my insurance requirements and because he has to keep his job, I have no doubt that it will be installed safely and per code. So why pay the extra $90.00 for someone else to look at it if I might never be asked to provide this documentation? The way I look at it, if I am ever asked to provide this, then at that time I will pay the $90.00 and have it inspected then.
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