Buying a House With Unpermitted Work: Two Real Examples

Unpermitted work doesn't disappear when a house sells. It becomes the new owner's problem. Here are two examples from my work.

The unpermitted ADU in Portland

On a job in the City of Portland, Oregon, somebody had a building classified as an ADU and used as a rental. When we went to the city, we found the building wasn't permitted at all. The city said it needed to be permitted, and it didn't meet setback requirements. That job got completely dropped.

The paved road from the previous owner

In another case, in Clark County, an owner was building a driveway or guest house. When the permitting tech looked online, they saw the previous owner had put in a paved road and gravel. The new owner had to take responsibility for it and get the right permits, like stormwater permits and those reviews. It also pushed the project over a threshold, so the review had to go to a different level. See: Clark County.

What this means for buyers

If you're buying a property with an ADU, outbuilding or site work, find out whether it was permitted before you plan anything new. See: Our services.

FAQ

Who is responsible for unpermitted work after a sale?

In the paved road example, the new owner had to take responsibility for it.

Planning a project on a property you just bought? Talk to PermitNorth first. Contact PermitNorth