Most homeowners go into a renovation thinking about tile colors, cabinet hardware, and return on investment. The permit question is usually an afterthought, if it comes up at all. That casual attitude ...

Jeff Somers is a freelancer who has been writing about writing, books, personal finance, and home maintenance since 2012. When not writing, Jeff spends his free time fixing up his old house. He has ...

Sometimes, open permits are so old that the building department might find it difficult to resolve them. Have the buyer talk to the local municipality about the open permit, so they have some level of ...

Most of the contractors we call say it's better for the home owner to get the permit. I've never applied for a permit but it looks like the permit application wants plans, drawings, and other ...