Photo by John Brighenti
“Dear PoPville,
We want my dad, who has worked in HVAC and plumbing for over 40 years, to install air conditioning minisplit units at our house. He’s not licensed in DC, but I seem to remember reading something about DIY home improvement projects being done yourself or by immediate family not needing a permit or something similar, and heard the same from our real estate agent. Was this a hallucination/told to us in error? Is he able to do this work for us at all, or are we forced to hire a DC contractor or risk fines? It almost goes without saying that the DCRA website is less than intuitive or helpful, and has very little info for people interested in doing work themselves.”
and
“I find myself in need of help/advise on building a pool in NW DC. We are purchasing a home in Hawthorne and I don’t have the slightest clue where to begin with this endeavor. I know we will need DCRA approval, but I also want to find a reputable pool company-preferably not a big name chain, to do the design and work. Can you help please!”