Unpermitted Kitchen Work: Risks, Fixes and Selling a Home

Unpermitted kitchen work comes up in three ways: a homeowner is tempted to skip the permit, a buyer discovers the last owner did, or a wall gets opened during a remodel and reveals wiring or plumbing nobody inspected. The rules below are the City of Vancouver's unless noted. This is general information, and the permit office decides how it applies to a specific house.

What counts as unpermitted work

The Vancouver Municipal Code states the general rule: "No person shall cause any work to be done, regulated by this code or the technical codes, unless a permit has first been obtained" (VMC 17.08.090(A)). In a kitchen, work falls outside that rule in four common ways:

• No permit at all for work that needed one, such as a new circuit, a relocated sink, a gas line or a removed wall.
• Work beyond the approved plans. Changes made during construction that depart from the approved documents must be resubmitted as an amended set (VMC 17.08.105(C)(2)).
• A permit that expired without final approval. The code calls it a violation "to allow a permit to expire after work has commenced without obtaining the required inspection approvals".
• An emergency repair never followed by an application by the next business day.

Work that is exempt from a permit is not unpermitted work. Painting, and cabinet replacement that does not require modifying electrical or plumbing systems, are exempt in the city. Exempt work still has to meet code. The full list is in do you need a permit.

What the City of Vancouver can do

Responsibility is shared. The code makes "the property owner, the project contractor(s) and the permit holder" responsible for work conforming to the permit and the codes (VMC 17.08.110(F)). Hiring someone does not move the risk off the owner. "Building without permits" is also a listed complaint category with the city's Code Compliance program, so a case can start with a neighbor's report.

The practical cost: opening finished work

Fees are usually the smaller part. Inspectors approve rough wiring, plumbing, gas piping and framing while they can see them, which is why walls stay open until rough-in passes. Work that was closed up without inspection may have to be exposed again, and in a kitchen that can mean removing backsplash tile, drywall or cabinets that were installed over it. That cost falls on the owner.

Selling a home with unpermitted work

Washington's seller disclosure statement, set out in RCW 64.06.020, asks about this directly. Under the structural heading it reads: "Have there been any conversions, additions, or remodeling?" followed by "If yes, were all building permits obtained?" and "If yes, were all final inspections obtained?" The answer choices are Yes, No and Don't know.

Three practical points follow:

• The question covers remodeling by any owner, not only you.
• It asks about final inspections as well as permits, so a permit that was opened but never finaled is a "No".
• Keep your permit, approved plans and inspection record with the house papers. They are the evidence behind a "Yes".

The legal consequences of an inaccurate answer were not researched for this guide. If you are selling and unsure how to answer, ask a real estate attorney.

How unpermitted work is legalized in Vancouver

1. Apply for a Field Evaluation Permit. The city describes it as "an inspection only permit to assess the type of building permit required for structural damage, construction without permits, and code compliance cases." The city's 2026 fee is $152.00, which includes both a building and an electrical inspection. The city notes you always need both.
2. Get the inspectors' direction. A building and an electrical inspector "will evaluate your situation and advise you on any necessary permits, as well as if you need to engage a design professional."
3. Apply for the real permit. The city says that in many cases "a separate remodel permit will be required to complete and inspect any necessary reconstruction or corrective work." That follows the normal City of Vancouver permit process, with the investigation fee added where it applies.
4. Expose, correct and inspect. Whatever the inspector needs to see gets opened. Corrections are made to the code in force, which is described in Washington building codes for kitchens.
5. Obtain final approval and keep the record.

Timing matters if a code enforcement case is already open. Permit applications tied to an enforcement case expire 60 days from filing unless the building official sets another period, and the official may set a date by which the permitted work must be finished. Coming forward before a complaint leaves you more room.

If you find old unpermitted work during a remodel

This is common in older kitchens: a buried junction box, an unvented sink drain, a wall someone removed without a header. On a permitted project, the inspector will expect new and altered work to be right, and unsafe structural conditions uncovered during the work have to be repaired. Raise what you find with your contractor and the inspector at once, and handle the cost as a written change order (see contracts, deposits and change orders). Setting money aside for this is part of budgeting an older kitchen.

Manufactured homes follow a different route through the state, covered in kitchen remodels in manufactured homes.

Avoiding the problem

A contractor who suggests skipping the permit to save time is asking you to carry the risk listed above. JDI Construction pulls the permits for its projects and manages the inspections, and the permit record stays with you when the job is done. If you have inherited a kitchen with questionable work and want it sorted out as part of a remodel, our Vancouver kitchen remodeling team can look at it during a free in-home consultation.