A home inspection rarely catches it. A permit pulled years ago for an addition, a deck or a remodel, inspected partway and never finaled, stays on the property record. When the house sells, the open permit and the uninspected work come with it.
What an open permit means
An open permit is one that was issued but never received a final inspection. Depending on how long it sat, it may now be expired. In Portland, an issued permit with no activity for 180 days expires, and it can be reactivated within 180 days of expiration before it goes void. In Seattle, construction permits typically expire 18 months after issuance and can be reestablished if expired less than one year.
How to check before closing
Pull the permit history from the city or county, not the listing or the tax record.
Look at each permit's status and its last inspection.
Compare finished space on the listing with what was permitted.
Ask the seller for the approved drawings and inspection cards.
Paths to close it out
Final an active permit. If the permit is still active, call the remaining inspections.
Reactivate or renew. If it expired recently, most jurisdictions allow reactivation or renewal within a window.
Start over. If it went void, the work needs a new permit under today's code, with drawings of what was built.
Who handles it
Buyers and sellers negotiate who pays. Either way, the work needs drawings that match what was built, and often an engineer. Pricing that work before closing turns an open question into a line item.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an open permit transfer to the buyer?
The permit and the unfinished inspections stay with the property, so the new owner inherits the open item.
How do I find out if a house has an open permit?
Pull the permit history from the city or county and check each permit's status and last inspection.
Can an expired permit be reopened?
Often, within a window. Portland allows reactivation within 180 days of expiration. Seattle allows reestablishment of a permit expired less than one year.
Sources
Insights are general information researched from published sources on the date shown. Rules change, so confirm with the permitting authority before you act.
