Can I get my own Building (Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, etc.) Permit?

The State of New Hampshire allows for homeowners to do work on their own property. IF you are the property owner and IF you are liivng at the address and IF are actually doing the work yourself then yes, you can "pull" your own permit.  Any town can be more restrictive if a policy is approved by vote of the Board of Selectmen.   Plaistow has passed such a policy (See Permitting Policy & Procedure - Updated May 22, 2017)

Your home is your usually your greatest financial asset.  Be smart, hire a professional to do the work and protect your investment.  If/when you sell your property there is more value when there is a record of improvements being done by a professional, with a permit, and an inspection by this office.  When you are hiring a contractor they should be the ones applying for the permit in most cases.  Then the liability for the work being done is clearly defined and they usually have the information readily available for the permit application. In the the case of Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Permits, when you hiring a contractor you MUST have that contractor obtain the permit. Again, this clearly assigns the liability for the work to that contractor. All licensed professional contractors know that they must be the ones obtaining the permit for the work that they do. Please be wary of those who try to convince you that you can pull the permit yourself when they are the ones doing the work. Some contractors will charge you a small additional fee, in additional to the permit cost, for their time to come into the office and make a permit application. Please check your contract carefully to make sure that you are not being dramatically overcharged for permit fees. If a permit fee is $75.00 and your contractor is charging you $200.00 it might be time to question your contractor about that charge. Be a savvy consumer and check. If you have any concerns about the cost of your permit please call the office and we'll be happy to assist you.

The State of New Hampshire issued licensed for Electricians, Plumbers, Gas Technicians and some other Subcontractors.  Homeowners should NEVER hire unlicensed contractors.  (Note:  The State of New Hampshire does not currently require licensing for building contractors.  DO YOUR HOMEWORK when hiring a contractor!)

It should be noted that in the case of electric service work , wiring for swimming pools and gas work (natural or propane) a homeowner may NOT do their own work.  Permits for these items will only be issued to properly licensed State of New Hampshire contractors.

In the case of a commercial project only State of New Hampshire Licensed Master Electrician, Plumbers and Licensed Gas Technician may obtain permits.