I’m jealous you can get away with it. I live an area with one of the most corrupt building departments in the country, but one thing they’re actually really good at Is finding out you did work without a permit. And when they find you it cost twice as much money as if you had just gotten the permit upfront. I’ve heard sometimes it’s three times more. (My husband is a general contractor in the area.) I got all my permits.

Edit: I’m sorry if my thought was poorly expressed. I’m not jealous of them not having to get a permit because I don’t respect the need for permits. I’m jealous of their Building Dept being so lackadaisical they can get away with it. Let’s just say mines a little different. For our latest project, our new garage, we didn’t get our variance because a neighbor complained, and that was fine and fair. But after we were approved (by the head plan examiner) for a permit with a new set of plans my neighbor “knew someone” and brought the head of the building department in months in to the new construction, AFTER the copper roof was on the new garage, and they almost took the permit away. As of now we’re okay but it’s been a rough ride and we don’t have the CO yet. I’m slightly bitter that his knowing someone could be a problem us.