Anything that required a permit and didn't get one. The ones we see most:

• Finished basements, especially with a bathroom, kitchen or bedroom
• Attic conversions and dormers
• Garage conversions to living space
• Decks, porches, patios with roofs, and sunrooms
• Rear or side extensions
• Second kitchens and accessory apartments
• Pools, sheds over the size limit, fences over the height limit, and central A/C or generators

Unpermitted work surfaces at the worst moment. A buyer's title search compares the house to the certificate of occupancy. A lender may refuse to fund. An insurer can dispute a claim tied to unpermitted work. A neighbor's complaint can bring an inspector and a violation with daily fines. Legalizing on your own schedule is cheaper and faster than doing it under a contract deadline or an open violation.

New York City

An architect or engineer files the as-built work in DOB NOW, usually as an alteration. Plans are reviewed against the NYC Construction Codes and Zoning Resolution. Inspections follow, then sign-off and, where the use or occupancy changes, a new certificate of occupancy.

Long Island

Each town and village runs its own building department under the NYS Uniform Code. Expect a current survey, as-built plans, an electrical inspection certificate from an approved third-party agency, and a final inspection. The result is a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion. If the work breaks a zoning rule, you'll need a variance first.

Sometimes. Inspectors need to see what they're approving. We often avoid full demolition with small inspection openings, photos from construction, contractor affidavits, or an engineer's letter. Electrical and plumbing are the areas most likely to need exposure.

It depends on zoning first, then building code. The property must be allowed to have a second unit. Then the space needs legal ceiling height, a code-compliant egress window or door from each sleeping room, fire separation from the rest of the house, smoke and CO alarms, and proper ventilation.

In NYC, the 2024 City of Yes rules and a basement conversion pilot program in select neighborhoods opened new paths. On Long Island, most towns handle this as an accessory apartment permit with owner-occupancy requirements. See our ADU page.

A simple legalization with no zoning problem often takes two to four months from plans to final. If a variance is needed, add the zoning board hearing, which can add several months. Busy departments and examiner objections stretch timelines. We give you a job-specific estimate after reviewing the records.

Budget for four pieces: survey and plans from a licensed professional, filing and permit fees (plus any penalty fees for work without a permit), corrections the inspector requires, and our expediting fee. We quote our fee as a flat amount once we've seen the file.

Before you close, have us compare the house to the permit history and C.O. You can then ask the seller to legalize, negotiate a credit, or set up an escrow holdback. After closing, the problem is yours.

An area variance relaxes a dimensional rule: how close to the lot line, how tall, how much of the lot is covered. Most residential variances are area variances.

A use variance allows a use the zone doesn't permit, such as a two-family house in a one-family zone. Use variances are much harder to get because the owner must show unnecessary hardship.

For area variances, New York law (Town Law §267-b, Village Law §7-712-b) has the board weigh the benefit to you against the harm to the neighborhood, using five factors:

• Will it change the character of the neighborhood or hurt nearby properties?
• Can you get the same benefit another way?
• How substantial is the request?
• Will it harm physical or environmental conditions?
• Was the difficulty self-created? (This counts but doesn't decide the case.)

We build the application around those five questions, with photos, prior approvals on your block, and the smallest relief that works.

• Side, front or rear yard setbacks for extensions, decks and porches
• Lot coverage and gross floor area
• Building height and dormers
• Fence and wall height
• Pool, shed and A/C unit location
• Driveway width and parking
• Existing structures built without permits, when legalizing them

• The building department reviews your plans and issues a denial (disapproval) listing the zoning sections you don't meet. That denial is what the board hears.
• We prepare the application, drawings, photos and legal narrative.
• Neighbors within a set radius are notified by mail, and a sign may be posted.
• You or we appear at a public hearing. Neighbors can speak for or against.
• The board votes, sometimes with conditions. Then the building permit is issued.

NYC

Variances go to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), which is slower and more formal than a Long Island town board.

From filing to decision is often three to six months on Long Island, longer at the NYC BSA. Chances improve when the request is modest, similar variances have been granted nearby, and neighbors support it or at least don't object. We'll tell you plainly if we think an application is weak and suggest a design change instead.

Yes. Hearings are public. We prepare written opposition and testimony aimed at the same five factors the board must weigh.

• No permit, or an expired permit
• Work beyond the approved scope or plans
• Unsafe conditions: excavation, shoring, scaffolding, falling debris
• Unlicensed or uninsured contractor
• Failed or skipped inspections
• A neighbor complaint that led to an inspection

In NYC the DOB can halt all work on a site or only the work in question. A partial order may let unrelated work continue. Read the order carefully. It states what is stopped and usually why.

• Get a copy of the order and any related violations.
• Identify every condition the department cited.
• File or amend permits and plans to cover the work.
• Make the site safe and correct any hazardous condition.
• Pay required penalties or fees.
• Request re-inspection and a rescission of the order.

NYC

The order is rescinded by DOB after the underlying issues are addressed. Related violations may also need to be resolved at an OATH hearing.

Long Island

Towns often pair a stop work order with an appearance ticket returnable in district court. Clearing the permit issue helps resolve the court case.

Usually you can secure the site, make it weathertight, and correct dangerous conditions. Ask the department first, in writing if possible. We handle that request.

A missing permit on otherwise good work can clear in days to a few weeks once filed. Orders involving plans that need new approvals, structural engineering or zoning relief take longer.

The department looks to the owner and the permit holder. You may have a claim against the contractor, which is a question for your attorney. Our job is to get the order lifted and the work legal.

To the building department, the work was never approved as finished. Lenders and buyers treat that as a defect. NYC and Long Island buyers' attorneys routinely require sign-offs before closing.

NYC

Search the address in DOB NOW and the older BIS system for permits, sign-offs and violations.

Long Island

Request the building department file from the town or village, often through a FOIL request. Many permits aren't online.

We pull these records as the first step of every job.

• Find what inspections were never passed.
• Confirm the work built matches the approved plans. If not, amend the plans.
• Schedule and pass the remaining inspections, including electrical and plumbing sign-offs.
• Obtain the final: a letter of completion, certificate of completion or certificate of occupancy.

Very common. Most departments let a new licensed contractor take over the permit, or let the owner take responsibility in some cases. We handle the change-of-contractor paperwork.

Open permits stay with the property, not the person. Once you own it, the department deals with you. That is why checking before you buy matters.

• Bedrooms or basements without a legal egress window or door
• Ceiling heights below code in basements and attics
• Missing or old smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
• Stairs with uneven risers, no handrail, or low guardrails
• No fire separation between an attached garage and the house
• Missing GFCI or AFCI electrical protection, and unpermitted wiring
• Deck ledgers and footings built without proper attachment
• Pool barriers and gates

NYC

DOB and ECB-type violations go to an OATH hearing. Missing the hearing leads to a default penalty, and unpaid penalties can be docketed as judgments.

Long Island

An appearance ticket means a court date. Judges usually adjourn while you legalize, but not forever.

Correct the condition, get any required permit, and submit proof. In NYC that is often a certificate of correction. On Long Island, the town tells the court the matter is resolved.

Yes. We compare the house as built to the certificate of occupancy and permit history, list anything unpermitted or open, and estimate what it would take to fix. That gives you facts to negotiate with. This is a records and compliance review, separate from a home inspection.

Zoning codes require a set number of off-street spaces based on use, usually per square foot of floor area or per seat. When you change a use, say from retail to a restaurant or medical office, the required count often goes up. If the lot can't provide the spaces, you need relief from the zoning board.

Ways to make the case:

• A parking study showing actual demand and peak hours
• Shared parking with neighbors whose peak hours differ
• Leased off-site spaces nearby
• Nearby transit, municipal lots or on-street supply
• Reducing seats or floor area to lower the requirement

Long Island

Parking variances are among the most common commercial applications at town zoning boards, especially for restaurants and gyms.

NYC

The City of Yes reforms removed or reduced many parking requirements, especially near transit. Check the current rules before assuming you need relief.

A written plan, approved by the fire department, describing how a building's occupants are protected and evacuated: exits, alarm and sprinkler systems, staff duties, drills and emergency contacts.

NYC

The FDNY requires fire safety and emergency action plans for many buildings, including office buildings, hotels and places of assembly, with trained staff in designated roles.

Nassau & Suffolk

The county or town fire marshal reviews fire alarm, sprinkler and kitchen hood suppression plans and inspects before occupancy.

• Zoning approval for the use, and parking relief if needed
• Building permit for the fit-out, often a change of occupancy
• Kitchen hood, exhaust and fire suppression permits
• Grease trap or interceptor approval
• Health department plan review and food service permit
• Place of assembly permit if occupancy is large enough (in NYC, 75 or more people)
• Sign permits, and in NYC, sidewalk café approval if you want outdoor seating
• Final certificate of occupancy

When a space goes from one occupancy classification to another, such as retail to assembly or storage to office, the building must meet the code for the new use. That can trigger sprinklers, more exits, accessible restrooms and a new certificate of occupancy. Check this before signing a lease.

Alterations to commercial space generally must meet accessibility rules for the altered area. Under the federal ADA, when you alter a primary function area, up to 20% of the project cost may need to go toward an accessible path of travel, restrooms and drinking fountains serving it. NYC and New York State have their own accessibility requirements on top of this.

NYC

Façade inspections (Local Law 11/FISP) for buildings over six stories, and Local Law 97 emissions limits for most buildings over 25,000 sq ft.

• Is my use allowed in this zone, as-of-right?
• Does the certificate of occupancy match my use?
• How many parking spaces does my use require, and how many exist?
• Are there open permits or violations on the building?
• Is there a sprinkler system, and is it adequate for my use?
• Are the restrooms and entrance accessible?

We do this review before you sign, so you can negotiate who pays for what.

The HVHZ is Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The Florida Building Code applies its toughest wind, impact and testing rules there. Products must pass HVHZ testing, and construction is designed for the highest wind loads in the state.

North of Broward, in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, the HVHZ rules don't apply, but wind speeds are still high. Coastal areas are generally in the wind-borne debris region, so openings still need impact protection. Your permit's design wind speed depends on the exact location.

Yes. Window, door, sliding door and garage door replacements need a building permit everywhere from Vero Beach to Miami-Dade. The permit application lists each product and its approval number, and an inspector checks the installation.

Replaced without a permit? That shows up at sale, on insurance inspections and in code cases. It can usually be fixed with an after-the-fact permit if the products carry the right approvals.

Miami-Dade NOA

A Notice of Acceptance issued by Miami-Dade County after HVHZ testing. Required for exterior products used in Miami-Dade.

FL Product Approval

The state approval system (FL number). Products used in the HVHZ must be approved for HVHZ use; Broward accepts products approved for the HVHZ. In Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, a Florida Product Approval rated for your site's wind pressure is the usual requirement.

Keep the product labels and paperwork. They are the fastest way to prove compliance later.

Openings in wind-borne debris regions must be protected, either with impact-rated windows and doors or with approved shutters or panels. Permanent shutters (accordion, roll-down, colonial) need a permit. Removable panels need to be approved products too.

A licensed inspector documents the roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof shape and opening protection on the state's uniform mitigation form (OIR-B1-1802). Insurers use it to give premium discounts. Unpermitted windows or shutters may not earn credit.

The 9th Edition of the Florida Building Code takes effect December 31, 2026. It updates wind load maps and component pressures, rewrites parts of the re-roofing rules and tightens energy requirements. Projects permitted under the 8th Edition generally stay under it for the life of that permit, so filing before the switch can matter.

In a FEMA flood zone, if the cost of improvements or repairs reaches 50% of the building's market value, the whole building must be brought up to current flood rules, often meaning elevation. This is the "substantial improvement / substantial damage" rule. Some cities count improvements over several years. We check this before you start a big renovation or storm repair.

Yes. Standby generators need electrical and often gas and building permits. Adding or improving roof-to-wall connections is permitted work, often done during a re-roof.

A roof replacement (re-roof) always needs a permit. Many repairs do too. Some jurisdictions exempt very small repairs, but the threshold varies, so ask before assuming. In the HVHZ, the permit lists the roofing system's product approvals and the required uplift resistance.

Traditionally, if more than 25% of a roof section was repaired or replaced within 12 months, the entire roof section had to be brought up to current code.

Since 2022, Florida law (F.S. §553.844(5)) says that if the existing roof was built or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, only the portion being repaired must meet current code. Older roofs still fall under the 25% rule. This matters a lot for insurance claims.

• Roof deck condition and re-nailing to current fastening schedules
• Secondary water barrier and underlayment (dry-in)
• Flashing, edge metal and penetrations
• Tile or shingle attachment per the product approval
• Roof-to-wall connections where the code requires improvement during a re-roof
• Final inspection

Miss an inspection and the permit stays open, even if the roof is finished.

A Florida-licensed roofing or general contractor, or the owner as an owner-builder on their own home. Owner-builders take on the contractor's responsibilities and must sign a disclosure. If you hire someone, verify their license with the Florida DBPR.

Very common. A new licensed roofer can usually take over the permit with a change-of-contractor filing, then finish the remaining inspections. If the work doesn't match the approved plans, we amend them first.

Insurers look at roof age, a 4-point inspection, and the wind mitigation report. An unpermitted or open-permit roof can mean non-renewal or lost discounts. A properly permitted and finaled roof, with documented deck attachment and roof-to-wall connections, earns credits.

Emergency tarping and temporary measures to prevent further damage are generally allowed right away. Permanent repairs need a permit. Photograph everything before and after for both the insurer and the building department.

• Garage and carport enclosures turned into bedrooms or family rooms
• Rear efficiencies and in-law units
• Room additions, patios and screen enclosures
• Kitchen and bathroom remodels with plumbing or electrical changes
• Window, door and shutter replacements
• A/C change-outs, water heaters and generators
• Fences, driveways, sheds and pool work

• We pull the permit and code enforcement history by folio or parcel number.
• A Florida-licensed architect or engineer prepares as-built drawings.
• Zoning review checks setbacks, lot coverage, parking and use. If it doesn't comply, the choices are a variance, changes, or removal.
• The building department reviews the plans. Fees for work started without a permit are often higher, commonly double in many jurisdictions.
• Inspections, which may require opening walls or ceilings.
• Final approval and, where required, a certificate of completion or occupancy.

Sometimes. It depends on whether the zoning allows a second unit on your lot, and on setbacks, parking, size, and building and fire code. Some cities have specific rules or programs for accessory units. Others don't allow them in single-family zones at all, in which case the kitchen may have to come out. See our Florida ADU page.

Florida law (F.S. §553.791) lets owners hire a licensed private provider for plan review and inspections instead of waiting on the building department. It costs more, but it can save weeks. We tell you when it's worth it.

Florida allows owner-builder permits for your own home, with a signed disclosure. You become responsible like a contractor. If you sell or rent the property within a year of completion, the law may presume you built it for sale, so check before choosing this route.

Before closing, check the permit history for the enclosure and ask for a municipal lien and open permit search. An unpermitted enclosure can mean a code case after you buy, higher insurance, and a cost to legalize or restore. Use it to negotiate.

• An inspector issues a notice of violation with a date to correct it.
• If it isn't corrected, the case goes to a code enforcement board or special magistrate hearing.
• The magistrate can order compliance and set a daily fine that starts if you miss the deadline.
• The fine order can be recorded as a lien against the property.

Chapter 162 sets default limits of up to $250 per day for a first violation and $500 per day for a repeat violation. Larger local governments can adopt higher limits by ordinance. Over months, that adds up fast.

Since 2021, Florida law generally bars code inspectors from starting an investigation from an anonymous complaint. The person complaining must give their name and address, unless the inspector believes there's an imminent threat to health or safety. Inspectors can still cite what they see themselves.

Often, yes. Once the property is in compliance, most cities and the county have a lien reduction (mitigation) process. Reductions weigh how fast you complied, the reason for the delay, and the city's costs. A clean, documented compliance file gives you the best chance.

A building official can declare a structure unsafe when it's dangerous, abandoned or seriously damaged, including buildings that miss recertification. Miami-Dade and Broward have Unsafe Structures Boards that hear appeals; in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast counties, the local building official and a board or magistrate handle these cases. Deadlines to respond are short, and the outcome can be repair, a demolition order or penalties.

Usually, yes. Recorded liens stay with the property, and the violation still has to be corrected. That's why a municipal lien search before closing matters.

The building department never approved the work as finished. Lenders, title underwriters and buyers treat that as a defect, and some won't close until it's resolved.

An open permit is active but missing a final inspection. An expired permit lapsed because work stopped or inspections weren't called in time. Expired permits usually need to be renewed or reactivated, for a fee, before inspections can happen.

• Find which inspections were never passed.
• Reactivate the permit if it expired.
• Change the contractor if the original one is gone.
• Pass the remaining inspections, amending plans if the work changed.
• Get the final and a clean updated search.

Florida law lets building departments close some older permits when no apparent safety hazard exists. Each department applies this differently, so we check what yours will accept.

A simple roof or window final can take days to a few weeks. Permits needing plan changes or new engineering take longer. Call as soon as the title search comes back.

Most buildings other than single-family homes and duplexes. Small buildings of 2,000 sq ft or less with an occupant load of 10 or fewer are exempt.

Most buildings

First recertification at 30 years, then every 10 years.

Coastal condos

Condo and co-op buildings three stories or taller within 3 miles of the coast: first inspection at 25 years, then every 10 years.

Under F.S. §553.899, condominium and cooperative buildings three stories or taller need a structural milestone inspection by a licensed architect or engineer, then repeat inspections every 10 years. Associations must also complete a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS).

• Structural: foundations, columns, beams, slabs, balconies, railings and signs of deterioration
• Electrical: service, panels, wiring and, where required, parking lot lighting
• A written report and any repairs the engineer requires, with permits

Late or failed recertification can lead to the building being declared unsafe, with fines and possible vacate orders. If repairs are needed, the permit and repair timeline becomes part of the approval.

We track the notice deadline, coordinate the engineer, file repair permits, handle inspections and submit the report package so the building gets its recertification letter.

Many jurisdictions, including Miami-Dade, the City of Miami and a number of Broward and Palm Beach cities, require a certificate of use before a business can occupy a space. It confirms the use is allowed by zoning and the space passed required inspections. You'll also need a local business tax receipt.

Fire departments enforce the Florida Fire Prevention Code. Expect plan review for fire alarms, sprinklers and kitchen hood suppression, an inspection before opening, and annual fire inspections after. Assembly spaces such as restaurants and event venues get extra attention for exits and occupant load.

• Zoning confirmation and parking for the use
• Building permit for the build-out, often a change of occupancy
• Hood, exhaust and fire suppression permits
• Grease trap or interceptor approval from the water and sewer utility
• Food service plan review and license from the Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants
• Sign permits and outdoor seating approvals
• Certificate of use and final inspections

Changing from retail to restaurant or medical office usually raises the parking requirement. Depending on the city, relief may come through a variance, an administrative parking reduction, a shared-parking agreement or leased off-site spaces.

Yes. Storefront glass, doors and roll-up doors must meet HVHZ requirements with product approvals. Replacing a storefront is permitted work.

Florida has its own Florida Building Code, Accessibility, alongside the federal ADA. Under the ADA, when you alter a primary function area, up to 20% of the project cost may need to go toward an accessible route, restrooms and drinking fountains serving it.

• Zoning allows my use and the certificate of use can be issued
• Parking count works for my use
• No open permits, code cases or unsafe structure notices on the building
• Recertification is current
• Sprinklers, hood, grease trap and restrooms fit my plans

F.S. §163.31771 allows local governments to permit ADUs in single-family zones but doesn't require it. Bills to create a statewide right to build ADUs failed in 2025 and again in 2026 (SB 48). So each city and county sets its own rules.

Under the statute, an ADU rented to a very-low, low or moderate-income household can count toward the local affordable housing inventory.

• ADUs allowed only in certain zoning districts
• A size cap, as square footage or a percentage of the main house
• Owner occupancy of one of the units in many cities
• Limits on short-term rentals
• A certificate of use or rental registration in some cities

Miami, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beach County cities, Port St. Lucie, Stuart and Vero Beach all have different rules, and unincorporated county areas differ again. We check the code for your folio or parcel number.

• HOA and deed restrictions. Many subdivisions prohibit a second unit even where the city allows it.
• Flood zone. The floor may need to sit above base flood elevation.
• Septic. Much of Miami-Dade and many Treasure Coast neighborhoods are on septic, and the system must have capacity for another unit.
• Hurricane code. Impact openings and engineered roof connections add cost.

If your city allows ADUs in your zone and the unit meets size, setback, parking and code rules, often yes, through an after-the-fact permit. If not, the options are converting it back to part of the main house or removing the kitchen. See after-the-fact permits.