Baltneu said:
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3. Insurance. On the unlikely event, the outlet caused a fire and my unit ( I am in a townhouse) and the unit next to mine burns down or has fire damage, the insurance carrier could say I am not covered because I did not have a permit. This latter point has me more worried than the above points.
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This is a myth that swirls around the internet and is perpetuated by posts like this. Insurance covers stupidity. It is there to covers the costs when something happens. For insurance to deny a claim, there has to be evidence of an intentional act by the insured to cause damage. There may be some policies with payout prevention clauses, but they are not as common as people are led to believe. If you have questions, read your policy or contact your insurance agent.
Did you verify the electrician is properly licensed to perform work in your jurisdiction? If so, and no permit was discussed, that needs to be reported, if a permit is actually required for the work that was done. Did you question the electrician about a permit?
When you go see about the permit, tell them you are installing the type of outlet that would be used to plug in a motor home, which is a common use for the 14-50 outlet. A permit and inspection for the work you had done should be less than $100 (in many places). It is possible they misunderstood and think you want to replace the whole electrical panel, which would explain the $450 permit fee.