Permitted vs unpermitted work.

[Anonymous]

I am always for doing permits but I don't think you need a permit to renovate an existing bathroom with the same layout

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am always for doing permits but I don't think you need a permit to renovate an existing bathroom with the same layout

“In kind” repairs no one cares about permits

[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.

Never heard of this happening... ever.

[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.

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.

PP here. There really isn't much to the story. The prior owners added a bathroom to the basement. It wasn't permitted. This came up during the inspection (it's an obvious thing -- paperwork from the county says 3 bathrooms, and the house has 4). We couldn't get insurance without the permit, and couldn't get a mortgage without insurance -- so we couldn't close unless the prior owners got a retroactive permit. The county had to come out and inspect. The sellers paid for it. It wasn't a a huge deal. But it would have been cheaper and far less hassle for them to just get the permit in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

PP here. There really isn't much to the story. The prior owners added a bathroom to the basement. It wasn't permitted. This came up during the inspection (it's an obvious thing -- paperwork from the county says 3 bathrooms, and the house has 4). We couldn't get insurance without the permit, and couldn't get a mortgage without insurance -- so we couldn't close unless the prior owners got a retroactive permit. The county had to come out and inspect. The sellers paid for it. It wasn't a a huge deal. But it would have been cheaper and far less hassle for them to just get the permit in the first place.

But this way they didn’t have to pay extra property taxes all that time until the inspection.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know. I care much more about getting a good home inspection than permits. Code changes over time. There is a bunch of stuff that was legal when it was done but wouldn’t meet standards today. I don’t really care if they got a permit in 1970 or not, I care if it is safe now…

[Anonymous]

See what permits are actually required. Not every job requires a permit.

[Anonymous]

What are you doing? Pull and replace doesn't need a permit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Permitting 1) ensures that your taxable value (hence your property taxes) will increase after the work is completed, and what city wouldn't want those additional tax dollars 2) it does protect you somewhat when it comes to unscrupulous contractors and being able to go after them if needed. Just because a contractor is licensed doesn't mean they're not nut jobs or terrible contractors! Conversely just because you do unpermitted work it doesn't mean the work is done poorly or not to code, or that that contract isn't licensed.
In your case you're using a licensed contractor to improve upon work which already exists, and he's giving you the option to skirt the system which will save you money and a ton of time in trying to work with the city to to get your permits approved. If the city would do a better job of pushing permitting applications through the various phases this would hardly ever come up as an obstacle and hence more people would get permits! Instead you have a bunch of super lazy government employees who literally could not give a $hit about you or your project or your timeline or your finances. They do what they want when they want, and there's really nothing you as a private citizen can do about that. Worst case scenario, you don't pull permits, you get caught, there's a "stop work order" and you have to then go through the formal process and pay fines.

Now, this would be a very different discussion if your project included building an addition, moving walls, brand new electrical throughout.

Sincerely,
Contractor who does not want to abide by permit process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

PP here. There really isn't much to the story. The prior owners added a bathroom to the basement. It wasn't permitted. This came up during the inspection (it's an obvious thing -- paperwork from the county says 3 bathrooms, and the house has 4). We couldn't get insurance without the permit, and couldn't get a mortgage without insurance -- so we couldn't close unless the prior owners got a retroactive permit. The county had to come out and inspect. The sellers paid for it. It wasn't a a huge deal. But it would have been cheaper and far less hassle for them to just get the permit in the first place.

But this way they didn’t have to pay extra property taxes all that time until the inspection.

Basements are not counted as square footage. Ours is permitted and no increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

PP here. There really isn't much to the story. The prior owners added a bathroom to the basement. It wasn't permitted. This came up during the inspection (it's an obvious thing -- paperwork from the county says 3 bathrooms, and the house has 4). We couldn't get insurance without the permit, and couldn't get a mortgage without insurance -- so we couldn't close unless the prior owners got a retroactive permit. The county had to come out and inspect. The sellers paid for it. It wasn't a a huge deal. But it would have been cheaper and far less hassle for them to just get the permit in the first place.

But this way they didn’t have to pay extra property taxes all that time until the inspection.

Basements are not counted as square footage. Ours is permitted and no increase.

Ditto. Our permitted basement full bath doesn't show up on the tax records database.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Permitting 1) ensures that your taxable value (hence your property taxes) will increase after the work is completed, and what city wouldn't want those additional tax dollars 2) it does protect you somewhat when it comes to unscrupulous contractors and being able to go after them if needed. Just because a contractor is licensed doesn't mean they're not nut jobs or terrible contractors! Conversely just because you do unpermitted work it doesn't mean the work is done poorly or not to code, or that that contract isn't licensed.
In your case you're using a licensed contractor to improve upon work which already exists, and he's giving you the option to skirt the system which will save you money and a ton of time in trying to work with the city to to get your permits approved. If the city would do a better job of pushing permitting applications through the various phases this would hardly ever come up as an obstacle and hence more people would get permits! Instead you have a bunch of super lazy government employees who literally could not give a $hit about you or your project or your timeline or your finances. They do what they want when they want, and there's really nothing you as a private citizen can do about that. Worst case scenario, you don't pull permits, you get caught, there's a "stop work order" and you have to then go through the formal process and pay fines.

Now, this would be a very different discussion if your project included building an addition, moving walls, brand new electrical throughout.

Sincerely,
Contractor who does not want to abide by permit process.

Actually, Sincerely,
Private Homeowner

[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.

Never heard of this happening... ever.

One of my neighbors took three tries and over a year to sell his house. We went to the open house (of course!) and I remember seeing his built out basement with kitchen, bath and laundry room. There were so many things about the ductwork, clearances and workmanship that made it clear that none of it was permitted. I don't know if he ever got the permits but I know he re-worked a bunch of it.

I don't think an unpermitted bathroom by itself would be a problem. I can see how a bathroom that was not part of the original construction and is obviously not code compliant might be a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

PP here. There really isn't much to the story. The prior owners added a bathroom to the basement. It wasn't permitted. This came up during the inspection (it's an obvious thing -- paperwork from the county says 3 bathrooms, and the house has 4). We couldn't get insurance without the permit, and couldn't get a mortgage without insurance -- so we couldn't close unless the prior owners got a retroactive permit. The county had to come out and inspect. The sellers paid for it. It wasn't a a huge deal. But it would have been cheaper and far less hassle for them to just get the permit in the first place.

But this way they didn’t have to pay extra property taxes all that time until the inspection.

Basements are not counted as square footage. Ours is permitted and no increase.

Ditto. Our permitted basement full bath doesn't show up on the tax records database.

Ours doesn't show up as square footage, but the permitted bedroom and bath we added to our basement are included in the count on our tax records. This is Fairfax County.