Do I need a permit?

I am wanting to change a 3 prong dryer outlet to a 4 prong dryer outlet and need to add an equipment ground. The dryer outlet is right next to the main circuit breaker and the existing wire is not run through the wall (comes out of the bottom of the circuit breaker takes a 180 degree turn into the 3 prong junction box, about 2 feet of wire). Since I would be adding a ground wire and replacing the outlet would I need to get a electrical permit? I heard this would cost me about $150 to have a professional electrician (I am in a rental so I cannot do it myself). Does that seem right? It should take an electrician all of 10 min to do this.

It takes more than 10 mins to drive to a job, to get the material ahead of time from the supply house. The material itself is around $20. Standard rate where I work is approximately $100 for the first half hour. (basically covers drivetime).... $150 does not sound too far off of what its going to cost. Or you could just change it yourself & not say anything to the landlord.

grandequeso it sounds like you are an electrician? Do you know if it would it require a permit? Also is it as easy as just adding a ground wire to the grounding bus and running it through the conduit?

Building permits are a local jurisdiction thing.
Here in Washington you could do that job in your own house without an electrician.

You need to call the county and ask what the rules are where you live.
Also, since you will be going into your breaker box, you need to know what you are doing. I'm not saying you don't. I don't have any idea what you know. I'm just saying that you better know what your doing or else the $150 may seem very cheap.
Is this your house, or are you a renter?

I am a renter which is why I am thinking about getting a pro to do it for the landlords piece of mind. My dad has built a basement including completely wiring it himself so he knows what he is doing. I just need to talk to the landlord to see if that is good enough or I should get an electrician

So maybe it's a bad idea (no reference to my user name, honest...) but I personally don't think it makes any sense to get a permit for this kind of thing, regardless of whether it's required or not. You're running a ground wire 2' - simple. As long as you (or your dad / friend / whoever) knows what they're doing, it's probably one of the easiest things to do. Now, if you have no clue what you're doing and you don't trust that your dad / friend / whoever does either, then pay the electrician to put it in - touch the wrong places in the breaker box and you can quickly find that you would MUCH rather pay $150 than ever experience that.

As for your land-lord, you have to weigh that yourself. Could you install the line and new plug and then swap it back to the 3-prong before moveout? If you do discuss this with your landlord, are they going to make you get a permit and electrician? I don't know your relationship with your landlord, but in my situation (also renting), I added a new breaker and plug to the panel in such a way that when it's time to move out I can remove anything I put in and return the panel to the same condition as when I got there. As far as anyone will know, it never happened, and that's fine by me.

If the house burns down because I screwed something up... well... fingers crossed on that one (and I trust my ability to wire a breaker).

-Kevin

If it is that accessible why not run a new wire (3+ground) rather than just a ground wire? I would think that would look more "finished" and be less likely to cause any questions.

^^^
I thought I read somewhere, maybe in another thread, that it's in conduit so it's just fishing in the equipment grounding wire.

So I spoke to my local government about it and they said if I am simply adding a ground wire through the conduit and replacing the outlet I do not need a permit because I am not changing any current carrying conductors. However if I re-wire with new 3 wire + ground I technically need a permit.

Nice. Now you can rest at ease. The only step to figure out is how comfortable you are running the line to the panel. One step closer to beer!

I am a general contractor and $150 sounds like cheap insurance. Yes the job won't take long for a professional to do but you have to think of what if your rental catches fire years after you leave, would you still be liable? If you did this work yourself, yes. Could you or your father do this work yourself, yes but the issue is that it isn't your house. Have you asked your landlord if they would help pay for this? This simple fix could keep you a happy renter who might stay longer.

If you hire any professional to do work for you , you need to expect a minimum charge. I have a business and it's hard to get out of the truck for less than $500.00 . I am also a landlord and I think you should let him know what you are wanting to do. It is his house. If it is done right , I don't think he would have a problem.

Yeah I will check with the landlord and make sure it is okay. Just need to think of a good way to bring up brewing with a heating element. Usually when I explain this to people they look at me like I am crazy and what I am doing is ghetto rigged even though all my stuff is legit and safety is the #1 priority when I build.

My hope is I will talk to my landlord and tell her I what I want to do and that I have checked with the government and it does not need a permit. I will then explain that I just need to add a ground and replace the outlet. If she okays me to do it myself then years down the road I am no longer liable correct?

Anyone that even looks at the outlet will be sued if the house burns down years from now - that's just the nature of our society. Even if you had a pro do it, you would get sued for not getting the right pro or who knows what. Whether it would hold in court is up to a judge and 12 knuckleheads.

If your landlady is cool, go for it. You do have to ask yourself one question though, and I don't say this to disuade you from doing the 'right' thing. What are you going to do if she says "no, I do not authorize you or anyone else to alter that outlet in any way". It's totally in her right to say so, and if you have been getting odd reactions from people you may get the same from her. Think about what your next step would be in that situation and have a plan.

cry and whine? My biggest concern is if she does find out without permission then when I look at new places I am going to get "well he messed around with electrical wiring without permission" and that is going to be a huge red flag. I did ask her if I can replace a light fixture with a ceiling fan and she told me to "go for it!" so I think she is not super strict.

Cool - ask her if you can add a ground line to the receptacle for added safety, because the stuff you have uses a 4 prong plug. You don't have to get into the somewhat odd nature of e-Brewing with her unless she asks... But she sounds pretty cool and understanding, so go for it!

I agree. It's usually best to spare the details.

I had a couple dedicated 20A circuits put in for a stack of pro audio amps I use in my home theater. The electrican was quite adamant that "I didn't really need that for just stereo gear". After a few attempts to explain that this wasn't really just any old stereo setup, it basically came down to me asking him if he wanted the job or should I find someone else to do it. He took the job.

You may or may not need a permit. Whether you need a permit or not depends on the local codes where you live. Electrical codes differ from state to state, county to county even from city to city. To echo what has been posted before, in today's sue happy climate, and the fact it's a rental. I'd get the landlord's permission (in writing) hire a LICENSED and BONDED electrician to do the work. Just my $.02.

Good advice all. I will just tell her I received some beer making equipment for Christmas that requires a 240V source with 4 pongs for added safety, and ask her if I can get one installed. I will also tell her that I spoke with the city and they do not require a permit and ask her if she is comfortable with me doing it or would prefer to get an electrician (which I am happy to pay for assuming I can keep it around $150).

Perfect. Let us know what she says and how you end up going about it!