Did you know...

(see follow-up below)
Did you realize that you have to get a permit in Woodway to

• replace your water heater? ($40)

• replace your AC unit? ($75)

• put in a sprinkler system? ($35)

The list of such things and the schedule of fees is found on the City's website here. The penalty for starting the work without a permit is double the permit cost on the first offense, more on subsequent ones.

I'll try to find out the rationale behind these rules and report back. But I noticed that the City of Waco has a similar fee system, found here.

Follow-up: The fees are mainly to pay for the mandatory inspection the City does after these kinds of work. But something to watch for: if a repair or installation company charges you for a permit, make sure they actually went to the City and got it. They should do this before doing the work, and should display the permit, readable from the street, while the work is going on.