Permits benefit the homeowner in a few different ways.
First off by having the work inspected by the local municipality it helps to insure that the work has been completed up to current building and safety codes. This will hopefully allow the homeowner to feel that the work is being done properly and hopefully allow them to feel safe.
Secondly depending on the work, permitting is important for resale and/or homes values. If you are adding an addition or finishing the basement or attic, you are adding additional square footage to your home. If this has not been permitted it is not documented properly and it could cause issues when you go to sell or refinance. The home was originally built as a 2000 SF 3 bedroom 2 bath but is now a 2500 SF - 5/3.
Finally permitting allows the homeowner to possibly weed out unqualified prospects. If the contractor does not want to get permits then they might have something to hide. If the contractor is qualified and they have the knowledge and abilities to properly complete the project then they should be willing to get any necessary permits on work that they do.
Permits can sometimes be a huge hassle. Miles of red tape, major time delays and sometimes substantial cost increase but I believe that they are a necessary evil… if nothing else a required one.
Permits definitely benefit the homeowner by assuring that the work being performed was completed in a manner which passes local and national building codes. Safety and quality are obviously important to all of us. Having Construction Code Enforcement inspect and approve your project will be your best way to ensure that the project indeed was completed properly and lives up to industry standards for safety and quality. I can’t recommend this enough, regardless of the delay and slight additional cost. Don’t just take the contractor’s word that it was “done right”, get proof with a permit and inspection.
The previous two answers were excellent, and should be enough to convince you, but there is one other aspect of permitting that needs to be taken into consideration: Resale of your home. If you ever desire to sell your home, you are required by law to disclose that work was done on the home that was unpermitted. This might hinder buyers from purchasing your home… they might be more prone to drop out of escrow with you, or ask for a price concession in escrow. So, you might think of the cost of permitting being a good financial investment.
The benefit of voiding to be summoned by the town or city.
helps you because the job done by the contractors needs to meet the Building Sub code and regulations.
Basically its a safe way to get the job done right…
The only thing it gets the project moves extremely slow…
As a practical reality, if your contractor does not get a permit when required, the municipality may shut down the work. We saw this happen recently to a foundation repair contractor. Not good, as the homeowner had to wait a week for the contractor to get the necessary engineering report, pay fine, and get a permit.
Most cities in Texas rely upon a professional engineer to approve the design and approve the completion of foundation work.
The Permit process is in place to protect you from unscrupulous contractors. It also makes sure that your project is built to the current Building Codes.
Getting a building permit for your project will make project safe specially y job its been done by home owner or other than a certified building contractor
The top few answers are great, but I’m going to add a different perspective.
In some cases a permit is a formality. The inspectors may or may not even look at the work completed. For example, we completed a window-replacement project a year ago. We installed an insert window into an existing frame. In that city they required a permit for that project. When the inspectors came (one was in training) the other inspector told him they didn’t need to even look at the window, they only needed to make sure there were functioning smoke and CO detectors. That’s one example of many I could provide. I’ve had many customers actually complain that the inspectors were only there for under 5 minutes, inspecting work that may have taken weeks/months.
You should NEVER rely on building inspections to determine that you’re getting good quality work. They are only responsible for determining if the applicable codes are being followed. They can’t enforce correction of poor-quality work unless it violates the applicable code.
If a contractor won’t get a permit for work that’s required, consider the implications. Either they aren’t competent to apply or they have a reason for avoiding the process. There are very, very few situations where I can see a plausible reason for a customer to apply for their own permit when a contractor is doing the work.
Generally speaking, permits offer protection from a municipality. Inspections can expose issues, including building code violations or safety hazards. This is beneficial because you will discover and avoid an issue before it becomes a major or costly issue. Having the necessary permit could also be useful if there is ever an issue with your homeowners insurance. A municipal inspection is not a guarantee but it is better than not having an inspection.
