Contractor pulling permits without homeowner authorization

[Amy Houser]

I hired a contractor to do the demo on my flooded property. Included was having his electrician check to make sure the property was safe for workers which involved flipping breakers and capping off flood exposed outlets. He gave me a quote for the electrical work for the rebuild but I was clear that I did not agree to anything other than capping off the outlets. I was billed for the work done and an additional $450 for pulling the permit. I will not be using this contractor for the rebuild. Do I need to pay this fee to pull the permit? Is the permit transferable to another electrician? If not can another permit be pulled on this property by a different licensed electrician?