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Keep in mind a permit and inspection will protect you, the homeowner, and give you legal recourse should anything go wrong.
A couple cases in point:
1. My elderly neighbor had an illegal deck put on in back by a kid through another neighbor's reference. It "looked good" from next door, but then I got to examine it up close.
-The deck was freakin 4 inches above the interior floor level(obvious tripping hazard), so all the dirt and leaves would collect and blow inside.
-Who knows if there was a proper vapor barrier and flashing installed, and whether everything will start rotting and/or leaking?
-Who knows if the posts were set at least 4ft. below grade, or if they will start heaving and rip out her sill plate with everything attached to it?
2. I bought my house a few years ago without knowing much about construction.
The previous owner had put on an addition, and there was some paperwork back and fourth with the City griping about a few inches varience in footprint. The cracking didn't show until the next year.
-As it turns out, the structural design was completely wrong, so it will cost me big dinero to fix. Wasn't planning on that.
-If the City thinks fixing this is an "upgrade" and a reason to raise my taxes, they would be wrong. This will be fixing their mistakes. After I checked, there was no final inspection done.
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