When buying a home that has had alterations or additions to the building, a Residential Building Permit should have been obtained if that work was over a few hundred dollars or if it involved changes or additions to the electrical, plumbing, mechanical or structural elements of the building.

That document will describe the proposed work, the date of the application and other basic administrative information.

For example, a kitchen remodel always is more than a few hundred-dollar project and involves changes to the electrical and plumbing systems, so permits would be required.

Being shown a copy of the permit does not verify that any work had been completed or inspected, unless the permit is signed at the place designated for the “final sign-off” by the inspector.

Plus, the inspector is only verifying the completion of the work described on the permit, nothing else.

These documents are kept on file as public records at the city or county Department of Building and Safety. They can be obtained by anyone and are valuable documents for any homeowner

John A. LaRocca is an inspector. He is a member of the California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) and a licensed general contractor. If you have any questions he can be reached at 818-951-1795 or www. laroccainspect. com