Permitted vs unpermitted work.

[Anonymous]

Also, by how much does permitting increase taxes?

[Anonymous]

The prior owners of our house added a bathroom without a permit. It was a hiccup when we went to buy it; we couldn't close without getting it permitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The prior owners of our house added a bathroom without a permit. It was a hiccup when we went to buy it; we couldn't close without getting it permitted.

Why not? Who forced the permitting, the mortgage company?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The prior owners of our house added a bathroom without a permit. It was a hiccup when we went to buy it; we couldn't close without getting it permitted.

Why not? Who forced the permitting, the mortgage company?

Or the home insurer?

[Anonymous]

People are often very misinformed on permitting requirements, to include realtors.

Ask a realtor the difference in a 20amp v 15amp circuit

Ask a realtor if a closet is require for a bedroom


City and county websites are often not accurate, you have to go to the permitting office or zoning office to obtain the most accurate information.

Permits ensure the MINIMUM standards are met, not necessarily the safest/most bestest. Please don’t flame me for my words. Ohh and the minimum is debatable, even by inspectors.

I’ve seen all this first hand.

You cannot determine if a shower meets code without breaking it apart and the inspector used to floated mud beds doesn’t know how to inspect schluter kerdi. That doesn’t exactly ensure no leaks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, by how much does permitting increase taxes?

It depends on what you are having done. Bathroom, probably not much or none at all. Our basement didn't have any increase and we added a bathroom (except the normal increase).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are often very misinformed on permitting requirements, to include realtors.

Ask a realtor the difference in a 20amp v 15amp circuit

Ask a realtor if a closet is require for a bedroom


City and county websites are often not accurate, you have to go to the permitting office or zoning office to obtain the most accurate information.

Permits ensure the MINIMUM standards are met, not necessarily the safest/most bestest. Please don’t flame me for my words. Ohh and the minimum is debatable, even by inspectors.

I’ve seen all this first hand.

You cannot determine if a shower meets code without breaking it apart and the inspector used to floated mud beds doesn’t know how to inspect schluter kerdi. That doesn’t exactly ensure no leaks!

Minimum codes are better than nothing. We've had good inspectors tell us that it meets code but it's not done great or xxx should be done this way but we pulled our own permits so they spoke to us directly. Inspectors aren't usually construction folks but sometimes they do have helpful advice and guidance. It just depends on who you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it isn't permitted it will not necessarily enhance the value of the property. In some cases, the locality (or evil HOA) can order it removed.

Your house, your roulette wheel. How lucky do you feel today?

I don’t understand this. Can you explain? Prior owners did DIY bathrooms that were likely unpermitted and I want to fix them.

Then get permits. You don’t always need permits depends on the area so check with your town/ city. Sometimes you don’t need to pull a permit but for big things you do (electrical, plumbing, moving things, walls, etc). I have to pull more permits than my in laws who live in a midwestern town.

I didn’t buy a home because they removed a wall and had no permit.

I bought a home that had most permits but not others. I was redoing the work and got permits for the work they didn’t get permits for. If I wasn’t redoing it I wouldn’t have bought the home without permits. It wasn’t that big of a deal to get permits and an inspector caught a (small) issue by our plumbers. I’m glad the inspector had them redo it.

Your property taxes may increase, ours did after the permitted work, but not by much.

It’s easy for realtors to pull a list of permits on your home. That’s the first thing I asked for when I was looking to purchase. I knew they hadn’t redone plumbing in that 1920s house because no permits had been pulled even though they said they did. I always check for permits because if you couldn’t do the bare minimum and pay for permits and have an inspector come what other corners do you cut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are often very misinformed on permitting requirements, to include realtors.

Ask a realtor the difference in a 20amp v 15amp circuit

Ask a realtor if a closet is require for a bedroom


City and county websites are often not accurate, you have to go to the permitting office or zoning office to obtain the most accurate information.

Permits ensure the MINIMUM standards are met, not necessarily the safest/most bestest. Please don’t flame me for my words. Ohh and the minimum is debatable, even by inspectors.

I’ve seen all this first hand.

You cannot determine if a shower meets code without breaking it apart and the inspector used to floated mud beds doesn’t know how to inspect schluter kerdi. That doesn’t exactly ensure no leaks!

Ask the PP who taught him how to write.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What work are you doing in the bathroom that actually requires a permit?

this. I thought if you were just pulling and replacing it didn't require a permit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well the cons are you’re breaking the law. So there’s that.

Do it above board and stop trying cut corners.

This. Any smart buyer would want to know if it’s permitted or not.

Here’s the agenda:
1) powder room replacing drywall and vanity, extending hardwood into where there is now tile
2) bath #1 replacing shower stall with shower tub combo replacing vanity new sconce fixtures new floor and shower enclosure tiling remove tiling from walls/replace drywall.
3) Bath #2 change half tub to shower stall, change vanity, replace flooring, redo shower wall tiling remove existing wall tiling, change mirror.
Replace toilets with nicer brand not moving soil pipe.

Im pretty sure that none of those things require permits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What work are you doing in the bathroom that actually requires a permit?

this. I thought if you were just pulling and replacing it didn't require a permit.

Not the PP, but I'm in Fairfax County and they require permits for literally everything, but nobody gets one for a pull and replace bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Permits make sure the work is safe and up to code. That being said if you have a good contractor who does the work to code without the permit,then it is fine.

Permits allow the county to raise your taxes based on the permit. A pull and replace bathroom does not need a permit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The prior owners of our house added a bathroom without a permit. It was a hiccup when we went to buy it; we couldn't close without getting it permitted.

There has to be more to this story. I have bought and sold 8 homes over the years, from DC, to MD, to CA, to CO - never has there been an issue closing due to "unpermitted work". I'm willing to bet the entire value of my current home that one if not more of my 8 homes (especially the home in CCDC and CCMD) has had some unpermitted work completed. That is why you have an inspection contingency - to make sure that everything in the home is to code before you go into Pending status. Again, there has to be more to this story that PP is not telling us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well the cons are you’re breaking the law. So there’s that.

Do it above board and stop trying cut corners.

This. Any smart buyer would want to know if it’s permitted or not.

Here’s the agenda:
1) powder room replacing drywall and vanity, extending hardwood into where there is now tile
2) bath #1 replacing shower stall with shower tub combo replacing vanity new sconce fixtures new floor and shower enclosure tiling remove tiling from walls/replace drywall.
3) Bath #2 change half tub to shower stall, change vanity, replace flooring, redo shower wall tiling remove existing wall tiling, change mirror.
Replace toilets with nicer brand not moving soil pipe.

Im pretty sure that none of those things require permits.

+1. So long as you're not moving any plumbing/electric I don't see how any of this requires a permit.