Discussions

Just asking if people that have had a permit for electrical work, from Hydro,have actually been presented with a signed copy of the same permit when the work has been completed. Obviously this keeps a track of the calculated loads of the property and work that has been carried out.  
The reason I ask is that I recently applied for a permit for some work for friends.The girl in the Hydro office then asked me a couple of questions  
1)Which meter is the work being connected to, as there is another house on the plot  
but secondly and more importantly  
2)What is the load on the meter that you will be connecting to.  
After leaving the office I realised that I should have said "you should be able to check this required info from your records. So I called them about 10mins later and explained this, to which she said "well our records are archived so yes we could but could you still check" so I said I would check when next there.  
Subsequently The friends wife rang the office and asked for a copy of the previous permit, so that she would have it for reference should a realtor need it. She was told "we don't keep records of the permits. My reaction was a state of complete dumbfoundedness I cannot believe they do not keep records.  
But at a guess I would say tow things immediately raise their proverbiable ugly heads.  
1)Nobody can be held accountable for anything that happens after the permit has been signed  
2)Just another money making scam by government  
Why wouldn't you keep records it would take anything fro 30 to 50 kbs of space on a drive.  
If they are not going to keep them I just don't see the point. Work has been signed off as safe by an inspector but if you don't see the permit it's pretty worthless

When I got a permit awhile ago I got a paper copy/receipt for the permit. There was also a box on the form for getting the permit that you had to tick if you wanted a certificate of inspection.  
I'm pretty sure they'd keep records of everything, just it's probably too much trouble to look them up - easier to get you to go have a look at your main breaker, especially since it may require going through several permits to check it hasn't been upgraded.  
 
Hope that helps..

Hydro will be anything but helpful to you. They treat everything they know as to be a big secret to be kept from you. They only want licensed electrition to pull permits even though they say homeowners can do a self permit they won't do it. It doesn't matter that the job would have to be inspected and pass before being rehooked up to hydro. Which just allows electritians in this province to gouge consumers.

As it happens I am a licensed Electrician.  
The point that I was making is, if you mislay lose or the dog chews up a permit, you can't get another one. Also they cannot track what has or hasn't been done at a property. I guess it's just another case of P+++ Poor Proffessionalism.  

I have applied for different permits over the years, and one in 2014. I have never had to produce the permit when I get the inspection done, which makes me think that there is pretty good record keeping at hydro, they have the location of where the work is supposed to be done as well as what is being done, one thing that I don't remember was whether I had to give the permit number to get the inspection, or even if there was a permit number.  
Getting old is a pain at times, especially when you forget things.

tafeel said "Hydro will be anything but helpful to you. They treat everything they know as to be a big secret to be kept from you. They only want licensed electrition to pull permits even though they say homeowners can do a self permit they won't do it. It doesn't matter that the job would have to be inspected and pass before being rehooked up to hydro. Which just allows electritians in this province to gouge consumers. "

Perhaps it depends who you speak to.. I had no problems, I just went in with a colour coded circuit diagram with all the devices, breakers (capacity GFCI/AFCI etc.), wire sizes and everything on it.  
 
The guy just looked it over and issued the permit, the process was pretty painless.

I will attempt to clarify Don  
My friends property was added to the plot appx 6 yrs ago and they had an electrician do the service hook up. The permit for this work was kept by the electrician. That permit would have all the details about loading etc on it. Because they don't have a copy of that permit she phoned the Hydro office to ask for a copy that's when they said we don't keep those records. Anything added after that permit they will not know about, if they have no reference details.  
A friend of mine lived on the outskirts of Brandon, going back some, he carried out works at the property, built a greenhouse and a store/shop on the site but didn't get any permits for the work. At one point, he called me because Hydro were not happy, with the way the pump in the greenhouse was connected, so they wouldn't sign off on the work, until it was corrected. This was because, he was in the process, of selling the property and needed to show permits for the work.  
I guess at the end of the day, if you don't have any record, Hydro will gladly issue another permit for another $100. Whereas if they kept the records they would only have to initiate the print option on the keyboard at no charge.

I guess the idea behind the permits is that the work will be completed and inspected and then it's sort of good to go from that point. When people don't apply for permits for things that are done after the inspection it does cause problems. You mentioned about hydro being upset, but if things were added that pushes the capacity of your main breaker at the meter, I do think that bothers them, and maybe by not being notified of things like the greenhouse and other things they are taking it out on the owner.  
My view on this is that records would not likely help if work was done without applying for them. Might be a bit if getting even by hydro, but in a way I can understand, if the main breaker at the meter starts tripping it does mean that someone will have to be sent out to put in a bigger one, I don't really view the replacement as a big problem, but it does require a commitment of time and all the paperwork that goes along with it.  
 
Over the years there have been lots of things that have been done without permits, and have never been inspected, maybe there is a message here for some of us.  
 
Edited by don brown, 2015-11-27 21:45:57