Renovating a home is a big task, and with that comes a lot of questions. One of the most important questions is whether or not to get permits. When I renovated my 1970s house, I chose not to get permits for the minor electrical work that was done under the guidance of my father-in-law, who is a master electrician. We also renovated two bathrooms and the kitchen without permits. My grandfather-in-law had experience flipping houses, and he advised me that as long as the work was done safely and up to code, permits weren’t necessary.
I understand that permits are the best option. I’m just curious about other people’s experiences with either getting permits, not getting permits, or having problems after not getting them. I’m not advocating against getting permits. In my area, permits are required for most projects, so I’m careful to get permits for anything that is outside/visible or will show up on property records, like adding a bedroom or bathroom. This is important, because if you refinance or sell your home, having a property record that doesn’t match what the appraiser sees can cause issues.
For small projects, like adding a circuit to a panel or remodeling a kitchen, I do the work myself and don’t pull a permit. I’m interested to hear what other people do in situations like this.