FHA Home Inspection | The primary concern when buying a house that’s had work done without a permit is that the County Building Department won’t approve the home for future work. While there is some reason to be concerned, the situation isn’t as dire as many people believe.

Just as work done with a permit can be shoddy, it’s entirely possible for work without a permit to be skillfully completed. This means that, as a buyer, there’s no reason to be alarmed at the prospect of a new home being worked on without a permit. While a buyer may feel fine about this work, how will a FHA home inspector feel?

While it’s true that buyers cannot use a 203k loan from the FHA if their home doesn’t meet very specific regulations, there’s nothing in these guidelines stating that all work in the home must be done with a permit. This means that, even if major renovations were made without a permit, it’s entirely possible that the 203k consultant will have no issue with the home.

That said, FHA home inspectors certainly use more scrutiny when looking at work without permits and may spend more time examining these areas than they would if the work had been done with a permit. If they find nothing wrong with the work done, however, then the home inspection will continue without a problem.

To clear up the work done without a permit, and then get the county to acknowledge the additional square footage for the house, and After the Fact permit with design drawing may be needed.

At Beryl Project Engineering, we can provide you with our expert home inspectors and designers. Proudly serving the Greater Tampa Bay Area to include Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco Counties, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Plant City, Palm Harbor and Lakeland. We are based in Tampa Bay, and also give services to other areas like Plant City. Contact us at: 813-358-0445 to book today.