The permit question comes up on almost every call. Here is the plain-language version for homeowners in southeast LA County and north Orange County. Rules vary a little by city, so call and ask about yours.
Projects that always need a permit
- Room additions and second stories
- ADUs, garage conversions, and JADUs
- Removing or altering a load-bearing wall
- Re-roofs (tear-off and replacement)
- Moving plumbing, gas lines, or adding circuits
- Water heater and HVAC replacement
- Electrical panel upgrades
- Attached patio covers and most decks
- Retaining walls over four feet and most foundation work
Projects that usually don't
- Paint, inside or out
- Flooring replacement in the same footprint
- Cabinet and countertop swaps that don't move plumbing
- Replacing fixtures in the same location
- Small freestanding sheds under the city's size limit
- Fences under the city's height limit
What unpermitted work costs you later
It fails at resale: appraisers won't count unpermitted square footage, and buyers' lenders walk. It fails at refinance for the same reason. It can void an insurance claim if the unpermitted work is involved. And it can trigger code enforcement, where the city makes you open it up, bring it to code, or tear it out, at your cost, years later.
The savings on the front end are never worth it. Every ADU horror story in LA starts with 'the previous owner converted it without permits.'
Who should pull the permit
The contractor. Always. When a contractor asks you to pull the permit as an owner-builder, it usually means they are trying to avoid the inspector. A good contractor pulls the permit, schedules the inspections, and meets the inspector on site. It is part of the job and part of the quote.
How Any And All handles it
Plans, plan check, permits, and every inspection are included in the quote. You never stand in line at a building counter. Call and describe the project and Mickey tells you on the phone whether it needs a permit and what that adds to the timeline.