Permit questions, answered plainly.
What buyers and sellers ask about open permits, unpermitted work and what the usual checks miss. Each guide opens with the short answer.
How to check if a house has open permits
Step-by-step: find the right building department, search the address, and read each permit's status to see whether any were never closed.
4 min readDoes a home inspection check for permits?
A home inspector assesses a house's visible condition. Researching permits and code compliance is outside a standard inspection. Here's how to cover the gap.
3 min readUnpermitted work: how to spot it before you buy
Unpermitted work does not appear in permit records. You find it by comparing the house with its permit history. Here are the signs and what to do next.
4 min readWho is responsible for open permits: the buyer or the seller?
The city holds the current owner responsible: the seller before closing, the buyer after. Who pays is something you negotiate and put in the contract.
3 min readHow to close an open permit
Find out what the building department still needs, renew the permit if it expired, pass the final inspection, and confirm the record was updated.
3 min readDo open permits show up on a title search?
A standard title search covers recorded documents such as deeds and liens. Open permits sit in building department records and are often missed.
3 min readCan you sell a house with open permits?
You can usually sell with open permits, but they can slow the sale or lower the price. Here are a seller's options and why to check your own address first.
3 min readDo building permits expire?
Most permits expire if work does not start or stops for a set period, often 180 days. An expired permit is not a closed permit.
3 min readHow to look up building permits by address
Building permit records are public. Three ways to find them for any address: the city's own portal, a records request, or one search across the cities we cover.
4 min readWhat happens if you buy a house with unpermitted work?
The problem transfers to you with the deed. What the city can require, how it affects appraisal and resale, and what to do before and after closing.
5 min readDoes a seller have to disclose unpermitted work?
In most states a seller must disclose unpermitted work they know about. What California, Florida and New York require, and why to check yourself.
4 min readHow to legalize unpermitted work
The steps to get a permit for work that is already built, what drives the cost, which building code applies, and when work cannot be legalized.
4 min readDoes unpermitted work affect home insurance?
Unpermitted work does not void a policy, but it can reduce or defeat a claim. Where the trouble comes from and what a buyer should ask an insurer.
3 min readWhat is a certificate of occupancy, and does a house need one?
A certificate of occupancy states a building's legal use. When one is issued, why many older houses have none, and how a buyer can check it against the listing.
4 min readWhat is a stop-work order, and what does it mean for a buyer?
A stop-work order halts construction until a problem is fixed. Why they are issued, how to find out whether a house had one, and how they are lifted.
3 min readHow far back do building permit records go?
Online permit records usually start the year a city went digital. The starting year for each city we cover, and how to get the older paper records.
3 min read