Pick your city and what you plan to do. See which jobs need a permit, the city fee, who can pull it and what gets inspected.
Jobs that need a permit
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0more depend on the details · Permit fees about$0
Oakland and nearby East Bay cities also need an EBMUD sewer lateral certificate when you sell, or remodel over $100,000.
"Other city" uses the state code (CRC R105.2). Your city can be stricter. Call its building department before you start.
Why it matters when you sell
The seller disclosure form (TDS) asks straight out: any additions, changes or repairs made without permits? You have to answer.
Sell within 18 months of buying? You must also hand the buyer the permits for work you hired out (Civil Code 1102.6h).
Appraisers usually don't count unpermitted square footage. Insurers can push back on a claim tied to unpermitted work.
Many people get this wrong:"A small bathroom remodel doesn't need a permit." New tile, vanity and paint in the same spot: usually no. Move the toilet, add a fan circuit, swap the tub valve inside the wall: that's plumbing and electrical work, and it needs a permit even in a 5x8 bathroom.
Next steps
Look up the permit history of the house on the city portal (link in each job above). Buyers' agents do this too.
Hiring out? Check the license at cslb.ca.gov and let the contractor pull the permit in their name. Handymen can only do jobs under $1,000 that need no permit.
Keep the signed-off permit card and final inspection. Put them in your house folder for the day you sell.
Already have unpermitted work? Ask the city about a permit for existing work before you list, not during escrow. Price it with the repair cost tool.