Watched a crew bury conduit without a permit, now I get the panic

Stopped by a friend's site in Austin yesterday to grab some prints and saw the electrical crew backfilling a trench for the new feeder line. Nobody had called for the inspection yet, and the city inspector was literally parked across the street eating lunch. I told the foreman, he shrugged and said 'we'll pull the permit Monday.' That's the kind of thing that gets a stop work order and a $2,500 fine, plus they'll dig it all back up. I get that everyone's behind schedule on this build, but how do you guys handle crews that treat permits like a suggestion? Has anyone else had to physically block a trench to force a pull?

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rodriguez.cora13d ago

Used to be one of those foreman types who figured permits were just paperwork and speed mattered more. Then I watched a buddy lose three weeks and his whole schedule because the city made him tear up a brand new slab for an unapproved line. That $2,500 fine was nothing compared to the rework and the client screaming. Now I’m the one standing by the trench saying nobody touches dirt until the inspector signs off. It’s a pain, but your mileage may vary until you’ve seen the fallout once. That foreman will learn the hard way, and honestly, that’s the only way some folks get it.