· Michael Blair
Permits get treated as a tax on building. What you are actually buying is an independent inspection at the points where work is about to be covered up, which is the only time a mistake is cheap to fix.
What generally needs one
Structural changes, additions, new or altered electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, decks above a threshold height, retaining walls above a threshold, and changes of use.
Cosmetic work — paint, flooring, cabinets in the same location, fixtures replaced in place — generally does not.
The inspection sequence
Footing before pouring. Rough-in for framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical before anything is covered. Insulation before drywall. Final before occupancy.
Each one exists because that is the last moment the work behind it is visible.
- Footing inspection before concrete
- Rough-in before anything is closed up
- Insulation before drywall
- Final before use
- The permit card stays on site throughout
Who pulls it
The contractor normally does, and it should say so in the contract. A contractor asking the homeowner to pull the permit is shifting responsibility for compliance onto you.
Homeowner permits are legitimate for work on your own residence, and they make you responsible for the work meeting code.
Unpermitted work later
It surfaces at sale. A buyer’s inspector finds work that does not appear on the property record, and it becomes a negotiating item at the worst moment.
Retroactive permitting means opening finished surfaces so an inspector can see what is behind them.