What’s the difference? Not much, kinda. As a contractor I have to take a test for the State of Michigan and every couple years renew my license with hours of classes. If I do not, I cannot pull permits with any township and risk being fined $10,000 per occurance, chump change for Mitt, but not me.
For the homeowner. You can do some of the work yourself but if it involves major plumbing, electrical, HVAC, or structural changes, you have to hire a licensed professional. You also risk fines and problems with your city.
An issue in Royal Oak is that investors are pulling “Homeowners Permits” and hiring unlicensed trades to do the work. This could be a house you buy and in the long run have MAJOR issues down the road. The city is short handed and can’t police everything, so I call on my colleagues to help report the infestation.
Updates after my meetings with the Mayor and new city judge are to follow soon…..
Links
Hiring Contractors
Permits
Mi Building Codes
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