Self-Reliance · Skills · Safety
Permits, Codes & Insurance
The paperwork is part of the repair.
Which projects need a permit, how inspections work, what unpermitted work means when you sell, and where homeowners insurance stops. The half hour of checking that keeps a good repair from becoming a problem later.
By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
Why this skill matters
Why do permits and insurance matter for work you do yourself?
A permit can feel like a fee for permission. In practice it buys an inspection. A trained inspector looks at the work while it is still open, before the wiring, framing, or pipe disappears behind drywall.
The permit also becomes a record. FEMA notes that permits provide a permanent record of compliance, which is useful when selling a home and getting insurance. Unpermitted work can come up at sale. California's seller disclosure form, for example, asks directly about alterations or repairs made without necessary permits.
Insurance is the other half. A homeowners policy covers sudden damage from named perils, not wear or every outcome of a project. Knowing where it stops before you start is cheaper than finding out after.
What you should be able to do
Tools and supplies
What do you need before you apply for a permit?
What you need to start
A written project description. What you will build or change, its size, and which systems it touches. One paragraph is enough for a first call.
A simple sketch with dimensions. Graph paper is fine for most small residential permits. Show where the work sits on the lot or in the house.
Your homeowners policy. The full policy, not just the summary page. Your insurer or agent can send it.
A phone camera. Photos before, during, and after, especially of anything about to be covered.
A folder in the home binder. One per project: permit, inspection results, receipts, manuals, photos. See documents and records.
What you'll want as you go deeper
Your property survey or plat, for setbacks and easements on fences and sheds
Your HOA covenants, if you have an HOA. Its approval is separate from a permit
Installation instructions for any product you install. Inspectors often check against them
The code your jurisdiction adopted. The International Code Council offers free read-only access online
Common problems and causes
What goes wrong with permits and insurance?
"You don't need a permit for that"
Sometimes true, sometimes said to save time or money. The building department's answer is the one that counts. If a contractor pulls the permit, ask for the number and look it up.
A permit that was never closed
The work was done but the final inspection was never called in. An open permit can surface during a sale or refinance. Close each permit with a passed final.
Unpermitted work found at sale
Disclosure forms can ask about it. California's form asks whether there are room additions, structural modifications, or other alterations or repairs made without necessary permits. Resolving it can mean a retroactive permit, opening walls for inspection, or a price adjustment.
An insurance claim for something that wore out
NAIC puts it plainly: a homeowners policy isn't a maintenance contract and doesn't pay to repair items that simply wear out. A slow leak you could have fixed is a different claim from a pipe that burst.
Rebuilding to today's code costs more than the policy pays
After a loss, the rebuild may have to meet current codes. NAIC describes ordinance or law coverage as an optional addition that pays the extra cost. Check whether you have it.
The HOA approved it, so it must be fine
An HOA approval and a building permit are separate. A project can need both, either, or neither.
Step by step
How do you check permits, insurance, and records for a home project?
Five tasks. The first two take half an hour and belong before any project. The third applies when a permit is required and you do the work yourself.
Find out whether a project needs a permit
About 30 minutes. The model residential code says an owner who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or demolish a building must first get the required permit. It then lists exemptions. Your local list is the one that applies.
Read your policy before a project
NAIC's advice is to read your policy, because it is your guide to which losses may or may not be covered. For the vocabulary, see insurance basics.
Pull a homeowner permit and pass inspection
Where your department allows it, a homeowner can pull a permit for work on their own home. Some trades, often electrical or gas, may require a licensed contractor. The department will tell you.
Keep the project record
Ten minutes per project. A record is what turns "we fixed that" into something a buyer, an inspector, or an adjuster can rely on.
When you hire the work out
The permit protects you even when someone else does the work. The contractor vetting guide covers licenses, contracts, and payment schedules.
Emergency and disruption application
Do you need a permit to repair storm damage?
Protect first
NAIC notes that your policy requires you to protect your home from further damage after a loss, for example by boarding it up or cleaning up water. Photograph the damage before and after. The insurance claims guide covers the rest of the claim.
Ask before permanent repairs
FEMA advises contacting your community's floodplain, building, and permitting departments before beginning repairs. It notes permits may be required for work on the roof, walls, siding, foundation, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning.
Flood zones add a step
In a Special Flood Hazard Area, FEMA notes a local inspection may be needed to decide whether a home is substantially damaged. That decision can change what the rebuild must include. If the home may be unsafe to enter, start with structural assessment.
Know your limits
When to call a professional.
Most permit questions are answered free by the building department. These situations need someone whose job is the law, the policy, or the structure.
Unpermitted work in a home you are selling or buying
Disclosure duties differ by state. A real estate attorney can explain what you must disclose and the options for legalizing the work.
Structural, electrical panel, or gas work
These need a licensed contractor, and structural changes may need an engineer's drawings for the permit. The permit is only one reason. The others are on Know When to Stop.
A denied or disputed insurance claim
Ask the insurer to explain the denial in writing, citing the policy language. If you disagree, your state department of insurance handles consumer complaints.
A failed inspection you do not understand
Ask the inspector for the code section. If the fix is beyond your level, a licensed contractor can take over the corrections under the existing permit or a new one, as the department directs.
Practice project
Check one project you have been meaning to do.
Time: about an hour. Cost: nothing. Outcome: a written permit answer, a known insurance picture, and a project folder ready before you buy materials.
Recommended resources
Books, resources, and the credential.
Books
Code Check Complete by Redwood Kardon, Douglas Hansen, and Michael Casey (Taunton). Illustrated summaries of the residential building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes in plain language.
Black & Decker Codes for Homeowners. Written for people doing their own work, organized by project rather than by code section.
Free resources
NAIC: A Consumer's Guide to Home Insurance. What policies cover, common exclusions, and how claims work.
FEMA: Contact Local Officials Before Starting Repairs. Permits after a disaster.
Your building department's website. Most publish a list of work needing a permit, fee schedules, and inspection request instructions.
The credential
No credential is needed to pull a homeowner permit where one is allowed. Building inspectors are commonly certified through the International Code Council. Insurance agents are licensed by your state's department of insurance, and you can check a license there.
Related pages
Know When to Stop
The six hazards where the right move is to stop and call.
Hiring a Contractor
License checks, contracts, and payment schedules.
Insurance Basics
Premiums, deductibles, limits, and exclusions explained.
All Safety Skills
Electrical, ladders, chainsaws, generators, and batteries.
Sources
Where this page's guidance comes from
Code, insurance, and disclosure statements on this page were checked against the sources below on October 6, 2026. Local codes and individual policies differ.
- International Code Council. 2021 International Residential Code, Sections R105.1 (permits required) and R105.2 (work exempt from permit), as reproduced by Grant County, Washington. grantcountywa.gov
- NAIC. "A Consumer's Guide to Home Insurance" (wear and maintenance, ordinance or law coverage, liability, duty to protect from further damage, reading your policy). naic.org
- FEMA. "Contact Local Officials Before Starting Repairs on Your Home or Business" (permits after a disaster, substantial damage inspections, permits as a record). fema.gov
- California Civil Code Section 1102.6, Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement, Section II.C, items on alterations or repairs made without necessary permits. Form text checked on a published copy. law.justia.com