well, we've decided to go with our gut and get the permits. My friend (the GC) has no problems with doing that. And he understands my reasons for doing so. Being a small business owner, he's just on a bit of an anti-government rant lately, and sees the permit process as a government revenue grab.....he's a good guy, definitely not an idiot. He and all of the subs (plumber, electrician) are licensed and have no problem going the permit route. Funny note though........ My wife and I were watching HTV the other night. Watching the show "Holmes on Homes." Holmes is a contractor that goes around helping people out that get screwed over by shady contractors. He was helping a couple who basically had their whole house torn apart to be remodeled. Well, the contractor did some really really crappy work......all sorts of construction, plumbing and electrical code violations......and ALL of it (according to the show) had been approved by inspectors. "Holmes on Homes" ended up bascially ripping everything out and started from scratch.... With this permit debate issue in mind, my wife and I had a bit of a laugh when we saw that. thanks. mm

There's a reason your friend is a 'contractor on the side' and not a full-time guy, because many/most customers don't want someone who tells them to cut legal corners. If a job is not permitted, ultimately it's the homeowner's responsibility and not the contractor's, so your butt is the one on the line if there is a problem now or in the future. Figure worst-case scenario: Job is underway, neighbor reports you, inspector comes by. Where I am it's an automatic $5000 fine, a Stop Work Order and a paperwork nightmare to get permitted retroactively for a job-in-progress and clear the SWO. And then you're on the Department of Building's radar, so expect a surprise inspection during work and a final inspection with a fine-tooth comb before you'll be able to close the job. Another scenario: you do all the work unpermitted but have an insurance claim a year down the line. Insurance company asks about this new bathroom which wasn't on their initial survey of the house. Asks for paperwork about when you did the work and city approval for the work to validate the claim. Um.... Third scenario: you install the bathroom without permits, live with it happily, then a buyer flags it at resale. It's now your responsibility to have the work legalized after the fact, which would mean opening walls and re-tiling in the case of a bathroom. If the work fails code - inadequate ventilation, problems with lighting placement - you have to fix it. Delays. Plus you're then in the position of telling the potential new buyers about a property tax increase, which hasn't been in their calculations prior to this. Plus they're wondering, if the owner cut corners here, where else did they cut corners that I'm not seeing? That's going to undermine their confidence and could lose you a sale. We're permitted up the wazoo for our ongoing renovation - general, electrical, plumbing, mechanical. It's cost several hundred dollars overall, but it's minor money and red tape now to save major money, legal hassles and time later.

This should have all been handled in the prep. Was completely avoidable with the proper prep. But what we don't know (or understand) is why the shower walls were built out so far. One common approach would be to build jambs. Again, this is all part of the planning. Doubt the walls were that far out of plumb that you couldn't achieve a better result than you have. You should have been given your options before anything was done as what you have is not standard. There are so many ways to rectify this in planning. This stuff hurts my head.

My opinion is that cabinets don't need to match throughout a home, although they should be similar in style (e.g., sleek contemporary vs. MCM vs. craftsman vs. traditional raised-panel). The color schemes from room to room should also be complementary. In my previous house, every room was a different color but cabinet styles were similar; in my current house, wall color is the same everywhere while accessories and cabinetry are different finishes (but same styles).