One of the groups I belong to on Linkedin posed the question about a homeowner telling a contractor that they didn’t want to pull a permit for a room addition. The contractor posed the question as to what he should tell the homeowner and everyone was quick to jump in and it was a unanimous NO! Walk away from that one!
For one thing, as homeowner, you’re setting yourself up for problems, fines and penalties from the Building Department. Plus, any contractor that says yes to that is likely and unethical character and the work will probably be shoddy and you’ll be in trouble with defects and tearing down the addition. It’s a costly and frankly, a stupid mistake to even want to skirt the permitting process. They are there to make sure the structure is built to code and is to a degree safe.
Same thing goes for a contractor who asks the homeowner to pull the permit. That’s when the homeowner better run away from that contractor as that is an unethical request from and unscrupulous person who is self serving and not interested in building a business; just wants the money, period. Of course the work will no doubt be shoddy and the problems when they come up will be on your back along with fines, penalties and having to tear down the structure. Just not worth it. And don’t believe it if the contractor tells you you’ll save money by pulling them yourself. Not true, costs the same and it shows he/she likely doesn’t have a license or it’s been revoked. Either way, choose to do th right thing always, no matter what.