"Oh_Jeeze" wrote:

Here's a silly question... so why would you pay for a permit and/or
inspector to inspect work you do inside your home? Before someone
scolds me keep this in mind, I am a first time homeowner and I have
only been living in my home for a few months. What types of things
require permits or inspectors?

Depends on the jurisdiction. In general, large things like new roofs,
new electrical panels, decks, additions, etc, require permits. Repairs
and decorating don't. Like in my case, a replacement furnace doesn't
need a permit, unless you are changing the type of furnace, like going
from oil to gas.

As to why do people do it? Because if you don't have a permit, and the
authorities are upset, you can be required to rip out all the work, get
a permit, and re-do it. Or they can condemn the house as unsuitable for
living in.

Call your local building department, and ask. (or visit their web site,
if they are on-line like they should be these days).

garage. A follow up question would be what if the previous owner did
something without getting a permit or getting the work inspected?
Would I be responsible for paying for those things?

If you have a condition that is wrong, you may need to pull a permit and
fix it.

In general no, you buy a house as is, and the previous owners problems
are now yours. That is why a pre-purchase house inspection is such a
good idea, so you know what problems you are acquiring.

By "in general" I mean I'm not a lawyer that is familiar with your
localities laws.