Suppose you just bought a building that was renovated in 1988 without a required building permit. If the violation is ever discovered then you are now responsible for getting it cleared up with the building department. That may mean dismantling the entire alteration, if it is not up to current code. Inspectors should be on the lookout for undocumented alterations, especially during commercial inspections. To find out more, check out our new article on building permits.