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ADDED: When the permits were pulled on the house we purchased, it was not necessary for the walls to be opened. I suspect this is highly a factor of the individual inspector, what kind of history the contractor has with the inspector, and the policies of that inspection office.
Ralph, it's the same here, it would depend on the inspector you get which will vary a good deal depending on which inspector you get. With an attic bath & kitchen remodel, it's quite likely at least some demo would have to be done for a city inspector approval.
Unless I missed it, I don't see where anyone is making an issue out of this except Scrappy. Not the bank, not the insurance company and not the city. So what's the problem ? You know sometimes in life it's better to keep your head down and your mouth shut and go on with life and not worry about all the little things that might happen, could happen and probably won't ever happen.
WOW! long thread here, i am not sure how i came into all this but i see this sort of thing often, a homeowner/developer wanting something for nothing. I am guessing this has been going on since houses were first built, many moons ago.
Has anyone here tried to obtain permits for improvements made to their house after the improvements were completed? We are considering buying a house in which the owner (who is a contractor by trade) put in a bathroom and kitchen upstairs without pulling permits. We asked the seller to pull permits but he refused and offered to pull out all of the improvements instead to make the property conform with the existing permits. I called the city zoning and they said that all we would need to do is order the permits and have the work inspected. I'm even okay if they need to tear open a couple of walls to check the work because I still think the improvements are valuable enough that they are worth paying a few grand for if we have to. Just curious if anybody here has gone through this experience before.
Thank you.
I have posted on this situation before,huge red flag,you cannot get permits after the fact.Very briefly,I did a 14 X 40 addition and appraiser would not o'k and bank would not loan.
I had to get civil engineer to inspect and draw up plans and they made sure ALL state and local laws were followed,electrician,permit from Health Dept and inspect,plumber.
I was lucky,payed the penalties and came out o'k,cost over $2000.
There were over 8 pages of documents from A to Z
DanBev, an addition is an entirely different matter, you would have structural issues, plans, zoning, etc. This was an attic remodel in an existing house foot print. Bottom line, you could permit Scrappy situation although would be a large pain.
Unless I missed it, I don't see where anyone is making an issue out of this except Scrappy. Not the bank, not the insurance company and not the city. So what's the problem ? You know sometimes in life it's better to keep your head down and your mouth shut and go on with life and not worry about all the little things that might happen, could happen and probably won't ever happen.
In NC, any remodeling work that costs $30,000 or more requires a permit.
If the roof is comprised of trusses, and not rafters, then the attic was not engineered to be a living space. Therefore, the work performed could have compromised the integrity of the structure.
The reason for the permitting and using a licensed contractor is to protect the homeowner/consumer.
Jacon4, as you pointed out, you are more than happy to renovate clients houses without pulling permits (I imagine if you are licensed, the licensing board would be fascinated to discover this) that you lost sight of "having your cake and eating it too".
When an owner agrees to renovate without pulling permits they do so to avoid the long hassles and extra costs. They do so to avoid the risks, like waldokitty, that the inspectors will increase the cost of the project by finding issues that have nothing to do with the project. They do so because if they pulled permits, not only would the inspector review the work, but the taxing authority would come out and reassess the property costing $$$$ in annual tax increases. They do so because, unlike the seller on the property I want to buy, they have no intention of disclosing when they sell and benefiting from home value that they are not entitled to benefit from.
When a contractor agrees to unethically renovate without permits its because they want to have their cake an eat it too. No pesky inspectors finding mistakes that eat into a contractors profits. No lengthy inspection process which allows contractors to get in, do the project and get out quickly and start the next project thereby increasing their profits. If in the future, the unpermitted work is discovered, that's the home owner's problem.
For those of you in the "no one cares, so why should you category", that's the way I would go if I really wanted to "have my cake and eat it too", so let me explain why your being short sided. Lets say one day my son floods the bathroom and does tens of thousand of dollars of damage or for whatever reason the electrical starts a fire and your entire house burns down let me explain to you the result. The insurance company will not cover your loss. Your home burns down, **** you, its a total loss. Then while your crying because you just lost your house the bank is going to send you a letter that they just called in your loan and your have 30 days to pay the entire balance of your loan. That's not a cake I am comfortable eating.
GEE WIZ Scrappy, calm down. You are missing the point here and now wish to change the subject with hypothetical arguments that seek to obscure the real object of your inquiry.
The money quote comes on page 3 of this thread where you reveal the real reason for your inquiry
" The other reason I would like to have everything permitted is so that when I sell the house I can include the renovated space in the value of the property."
Case closed! another southern mystery solved! I would add that i am a retired construction professional & have no dog in this fight, i was simply trying to offer my experiences in dealing with permit & construction issues over a 35 year career.
Scrappy,
For your piece of mind and to head off future stomach ulcers, you need to walk away from this property. Possibly you might consider being a renter instead of an owner. When one of the terrible things that you imagine will happen to where ever your're living, all you'll need to do as a renter is call the landlord from your cell phone.
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