“I bought this building with the intention of doing most of the renovations myself,” Ron said. “There’s a pretty tight timeline because I have tenants waiting to move in. But now I’m stuck because I made some mistakes with the plumbing and got slapped with a stop work order.”
There’s nothing more frustrating and expensive than having a renovation project put on pause due to a stop work order. The city will issue a stop work order for any number of reasons. For example – if the work you’ve done isn’t in compliance with NYC plumbing code, you’re going to run into issues.
When Do You Really Need a Professional Plumber for NYC Renovations?
Many people aren’t aware that the city places limits on the size and scope of plumbing repairs that can be done by the property owner. There’s a category that’s known as limited plumbing alterations that dictates what you can do without a licensed master plumber, if you want to for some reason.
For example, if you want to replace your kitchen faucet with a new faucet, by NYC plumbing code, you don’t need to have a licensed master plumber involved. However, if you’re in Ron’s situation, where your renovation involves installing more than 5 fixtures, installing gas lines, and boiler work, you have to have a licensed professional plumber do the job.
If you’d like to read the NYC plumbing code for yourself, you can do so here. Be aware that this document is more than 70 pages, and the language is somewhat confusing. If you are not sure if the renovation work you’re planning to do requires a permit or licensed professional, check before you start. This can save you a lot of frustration and expense.
Plumber to Correct NYC Plumbing Code Violations
If you’ve been told your project is in violation, you need to have those violations corrected before work on the project can continue further. “I made some mistakes not knowing there were rules regarding clearances and things like that,” Ron said. “The fastest way to get the problems addressed was by having a professional plumber in New York City come in and bring the entire project into compliance. Then the inspector came back, signed off on everything, and I was finally able to get back to work. But I was behind schedule and I spent money I didn’t have to. Next time, I’ll bring in the plumber before the inspector gets here – not the other way around!”