I think the buyer needs to be the one who checks.

Gary L. Waters, Broker Owner, Waters Realty of Brevard, LLC Since I live in a "Buyer Beware" State, the buyers should make this part of doing their due diligence.

Not a part of the inspection.

Gary,

I think that Ted Seastrom made a good point in having the buyer check this for themselves...especially in our litigious prone state of California.  A

I encourage the buyer to verify for themselves here in CA

For years in DC almost nobody got building permits.  Lately, the DC government figured out that permits are a great way to add to the Treasury, so they've made the process reasonable easy and no longer totally corrupt, so people are getting them more often.  

Always a good idea..easy to check now as there is a city website.

Buyers should check

fair question, usually inspectors wont. and you as an agent shouldnt , i would suggest the buyer, but they dont know what to look for. perhaps paying the home inspector to do so.

No the inspector does not. No I never do it for the buyer. If there is a question I only check & it takes awhile now with the FOI paperwork. Not like a phone call in the old days.

Great example was a home inspector said the deck was put on wrong &  when we checked, the builder put it on that way which was ok with the village in the end.

Many rehabs don't have permits.

Only if I am buying the property myself.  I do not do that for a Buyer and assume that liability.  It's not a real estate agents job.  I will tell them where they can go to check, but if permits were never pulled they will not be available.  There are many variables with permits, code compliance and building and just won't take that risk.  

Inspectors -  They will not either as it is not their job to do that.  

Hi Gary - We automatically check on every listing we take and on every home our buyers have under contract. That was an early and expensive lesson.

Check at time of listing, or when working with Buyer, check during contingency period. 

The buyer would need to check if they care.  In Thousand Oaks, a city report showing this is a mandatory part of the escrow process.

I recommend the buyer to check out all information on the property such as permit history.

I'm no expert on this so the answer is not part of the inspection process unless something is found on the property that doesn't match the appraisers site

My inspector does not check but tells the home buyer they can check into it.

Not part of the inspection or my range of services. Possibly the title company or the buyer's attorney!

I would not count on the home inspector to check this.

What Evelyn Johnston said...

Inspection company does not... not part of the purview of their inspection requirements by the state. I don't pull permits; it's up to the buyers to do this as part of their due diligence (I may tell them where to go to do so, but don't want liability if I missed something). Sellers here have to disclose if there is work that was done that was unpermitted.

Gary L. Waters, Broker Owner, Waters Realty of Brevard, LLC - If not there in disclosure, my home inspector insist on getting the permits from the sellers.

I know the home inspector doesn't and I have never done it either. I don't think it is my job to check these tilte issues. The title company does check all things of record that involve the house.

I do both

One assumes certain things within reason. This may qualify in some cases

We can look that up online now in some counties around here.

yes and yes. 

Realtors need to follow thru on the inspections also.