"mm" wrote in message
What would you do if you were just building a deck, the same size all
the neighbors' new ones are, 12'x12', two feet off the ground, and you
were expanding the basement with a new 12x12 room right under the
deck?

Permit or no?

Where do you live and how close are the neighbors? Too visible and big
enough project and easy to get caught in most places, but out in the
country, I'd just do it. . I'd go for the permit in town. OTOH, when I
took down my 10 x 12 deck and put up a 12 x 16, no permit. I just figured it
was a repair.