Press Release: Home Builders oppose Oregon Ballot Measure 63

The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland’s Political Action Committee recently voted to oppose a measure on this year’s ballot that would put Oregon homeowners at risk.

Measure 63 would allow homeowners to perform up to $35,000 in remodeling in a single calendar year without a permit.

“There simply are innumerable ways in which this proposal puts homeowners at risk,” said Steve Heiteen, president of Steven Heiteen Construction and a long-time leader of the HBA’s Remodeler’s Council. “This level of renovation to a home could very likely include work on the home’s plumbing and electrical systems, or even its structural integrity. The idea of removing oversight at that scale is a huge mistake.”

Heiteen said Measure 63 would create an enormous liability risk for homeowners, because it makes the homeowner directly responsible for all changes they make during renovation. Even if the home was sold, any future problems connected to the remodeling work would be the responsibility of the owner who commissioned the work. Worse, the measure would present health and safety risks from problems like electrical fires, burst plumbing, or even structural collapse.

Other home builders associations around the state are anticipated to join in opposing the measure as the election nears.

“As an organization, the HBA and its members fight battles regularly with government to reduce the red tape and unnecessary costs associated with home construction or improvement,” Heiteen said. “But we’ve never questioned the need for all builders to adhere to the state’s building code, and building permits represent the system to make sure everyone is doing their work in accordance with the code. Opposing this ballot measure is a no brainer.”

To learn more about Oregon Ballot Measure 63 see previous post.