Remodel Contracting Podcast

Code-Proof Your Remodel To Protect Your Home And Wallet

• Jeff Bass • Episode 15

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Why Should We Bring Things Up To Code?

Your home’s best upgrades aren’t the ones you can see. We unpack how modern building codes protect safety, strengthen insurance claims, cut energy bills, and boost resale value—and why tackling what’s behind the walls should come before picking tile. With Jeff Bass, a seasoned general contractor in the DFW area, we break down the real risks of outdated wiring and plumbing, explain GFCI outlets in plain English, and show how current standards turn everyday headaches into non-issues.

We get practical about what “up to code” actually means today, from grounded circuits and kitchen small-appliance loads to insulation, windows, and energy efficiency requirements that can shrink your summer electric bill. You’ll hear the difference between grandfathered features and true violations, plus when an update is optional and when it becomes mandatory the moment you touch a system. Along the way, we share the documentation that matters—permits, inspections, and close-out records that reassure buyers and keep insurers on your side.

If you’re planning a remodel, you’ll learn how to hire a licensed, insured contractor who pulls the right permits, sequences inspections, and helps you prioritize function over finishes. We talk ROI, timelines, and how focusing on wiring, plumbing, and ventilation sets you up for a smoother project and a stronger sale. Expect clear guidance, real-world examples, and a blueprint for upgrades that pay off now and later.

Subscribe for more practical remodeling insight, share this with a homeowner who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Got a question about code or permits? Send it our way—we might feature it next.

To learn more about Remodel Contracting visit:
https://www.RemodelContracting.net
Remodel Contracting
801 Alpha Rd, Ste 133
Richardson, TX 75081
469-831-5620

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Remodel Contracting Podcast, where outdated spaces meet their modern makeover destiny. Hosted by Jeff Bass, general contractor, home renovation expert, and guy who firmly believes your avocado green bathroom has gotta go. Based in the DFW Metro, Remodel Contracting is here to help you level up your living space. Because hey, you updated your wardrobe. Now it's time to update your home. Expect more. Live better. Let's remodel.

SPEAKER_02:

Whether you're remodeling or selling, Jeff Bass explains why updating to code isn't just smart, it's essential. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with general contractor and home renovation expert Jeff Bass. Jeff, how's it going today?

SPEAKER_00:

Doing great, Sophia. Thanks for asking. How are you?

SPEAKER_02:

Great. Now, Jeff, let's get into it. Why should we bring things up to code?

SPEAKER_00:

You know, bringing things up to code really it protects your investment, whether you're remodeling, selling, or just maintaining your home. And what bringing up the code means, it means that the work meets the minimum safety and construction standards and effect today, not from when the house was built. And so bringing things up to code because we want to bring things up to code because building codes evolve as we learn more about materials, the weather, fire safety. So even if your house was up to code when it was built, it might not be now.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, Jeff, I have to ask, how does being out of code affect insurance or resale value?

SPEAKER_00:

If you've ever had an insurance claim and your wiring or your structure isn't up to code, they can actually deny the claim. And you know, noncompliant, unpermitted work that can uh really haunt you when it comes time to renew your insurance. For example, if you have an older home built in the 60s, it might have two wire outlets with no ground. Whereas modern wiring, we have GFCI outlets. So there's a lot of code changes that that happen related to the uh electrical safety of your home. And we definitely wouldn't want to be in a situation where an insurance claim is denied because we did work in the home and we didn't bring the home up to code.

SPEAKER_02:

So, Jeff, for our homeowners who don't know what the GFCI outlets are, do you mind getting into that a little further?

SPEAKER_00:

GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupt. Basically, it's a little circuit breaker built into the outlet. So you don't have to rely just on the breaker panel in your garage. Uh outlets, uh appliances, especially small kitchen appliances, they draw a lot of amperage and they can quickly over running two at a time can quickly overload a circuit. Um, an example is if you've ever been in an older home and somebody is running a hairdryer and you put toast in the toaster, all of a sudden everything trips and turns off. That's because the amperage has been overloaded. Outlets are designed to handle about 15 amps. When you plug in something that's running 10 amps, you plug in something else that's running 10 amps, and there you there you got 20, and uh you've tripped a breaker. It's a lot simpler with a GFCI to just handle that one, that one item on that circuit, and you can take care of it while you're in the house just by pushing the little button on the GFCI.

SPEAKER_02:

Amazing. Now, are there common areas in older homes that tend to be out of compliance?

SPEAKER_00:

Electrical is probably the easiest one to find that comes out of compliance. Um, because like I said, 50, 50, 60 years ago, we did things a lot differently. You know, and now a lot of code changes now have to do with energy efficiency, um, more energy efficient insulation, more energy efficient windows. You know, if you were to go buy a brand new house right now in the summer in Texas, you might find your electric bill is a quarter of what it was in your previous 50-year-old home because they're built so much more energy efficiently. And that's that's because of code, that's code regulations doing that. That's not the builder looking out for your best interest, right? That's because the municipalities have elected to require things to be more energy efficient. So um currently that's probably where the biggest changes come in.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, Jeff, what's the difference between grandfathered features and code violations?

SPEAKER_00:

So that's a great, great question. And that's you know, related to it's related to when you have to bring your home up with code. Older homes are grandfathered in and don't have to be fully updated unless you're doing major remodels or additions or system replacements. But if you're touching it, whether it be wiring, plumbing, framing, whatever you're working on has to be has to meet current standards. Um, for example, if you're working on your kitchen, you don't have to rewire the entire house. But the circuits serving the kitchen would be required to meet current code.

SPEAKER_02:

What's your advice for homeowners planning a remodel with outdated systems?

SPEAKER_00:

That's a great question. Um, first thing would be to be hire, um, hire a general contractor uh who's insured and bonded and understands your local municipal codes, um, not just you know, chucking a truck and a Facebook page. Um, you know, ask your contractor about the permits that are being pulled, uh, keep your inspection records. Um, you know, that's gonna help when you sell your home, you know. One thing we haven't talked about is resale value or selling a home, right? Um, if your home is not up to code, it could affect your home's resale value. Um, because the people who are purchasing your home now have in the back of their mind they're gonna need to do these improvements. If your home is up to code and you've done these improvements, whether they be plumbing, electrical, if energy efficiency, whatever, if you've already done those and you've kept good records, then when you go to sell your home, you can use that as evidence that the work has been done, that the home is up to code, and you can, you know, get more money for your home and the people buying it have a better, um, you know, better sense of comfort in purchasing your home.

SPEAKER_02:

Financially speaking, Jeff, how big can that difference be with the updated codes versus not updating the codes and that resale value?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, and in selling a home, your resale value is actually related to two things, right? You have we have time and money. So the better your home compares to like homes, the more money you're gonna get for it and the faster it's going to sell. I can't say exactly what those numbers are. I'm I'm not a realtor, but I can tell you when we go in to um remodel homes, usually in estate situations, um, now we're not just going in and updating the wiring, right? We're remodeling the entire home. But our uh it's been our experience that people tend to get$2 back for every dollar that they spend. And one thing that I do focus on, you know, when people call in the contractor, they're calling them in because, you know, they want a new bathroom, they want a new kitchen, they're looking at the things on the surface. They're not looking behind the sheetrock. Well, when I come in and I look behind the sheetrock, I'm seeing the utility, I'm seeing the function. And those are the things that I impress upon the homeowner that need to be done first. If we're going in, we need to update the wiring, we need to update the plumbing. Those things are more important to me, they're more important to put your dollars there than it is to put in new tile or new flooring because those things affect the function of the home. They need to be addressed first. And the homeowner needs to have that in mind when they're making their budget for a remote.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, Jeff. Thanks again. That was packed with insight. Can't wait for the next one.

SPEAKER_00:

Awesome. Thank you, Sophia.

SPEAKER_01:

That's a wrap for this episode of Remodel Contracting Podcast. Ready to kick that 90s kitchen to the curb? For a free in home consultation, call 469 831 5620 or visit Remodelcontracting.net. Expect more because your home deserves better. And honestly, so do you.