Property owners typically think of zoning regulations concerning building placement as a form of land use. In some ways, the idea of gaining permission to place or erect a structure limits how a property owner can use the parcel. But regulations concerning specific measurements between other elements take this notion a step further. Even when a type of...

A great deal of misinformation about obtaining building permits exists that sometimes results in property owners not securing one. An inspector combing through your entire home looking for violations rarely happens in practice. Of course, if the house has been significantly altered over the years without pulling a permit, it’s not unreasonable for a building code enforcement officer...