---
title: "Building Permit Guides for Homeowners | YesPermit"
description: "Guides for US homeowners on building permits: what happens without a permit, why permits get rejected, setbacks, HOA approval and permit drawings."
url: https://yespermit.com/guides/
updated: 2026-10-13
language: en-US
---

# Permit guides

What every homeowner should know before building: rules, refusals, setbacks, HOAs and what happens without a permit.

- [Does homeowners insurance cover unpermitted work? Unpermitted work and home insurance: the ordinance or law exclusion, Florida's 25% default, owner-builder injury risk, all from official sources.](https://yespermit.com/guides/does-insurance-cover-unpermitted-work/)
- [Easements explained What utility, drainage and access easements are, where to find them, why cities refuse buildings over them, and who pays when a structure in an easement must go.](https://yespermit.com/guides/easements-explained/)
- [HOA approval vs city permit An HOA approval is not a building permit, and a permit is not HOA approval. How the two reviews differ, what Austin, Miami Lakes and Florida law say, and the right order.](https://yespermit.com/guides/hoa-vs-city-permit/)
- [Owner-builder permits, explained What an owner-builder permit is, who can get one, the Florida and California rules on selling within a year, liability for workers, and what you sign at the counter.](https://yespermit.com/guides/owner-builder-permit/)
- [Permit drawings: what a city expects The drawings a US city asks for with a residential permit: site plan, foundation and floor plans, elevations, sections, scale and format, from real city checklists.](https://yespermit.com/guides/permit-drawings/)
- [How to get a permit for work already built Legalizing a deck, shed or addition built without a permit: how as-built permits work, opening walls, engineer letters, penalties, and when removal is the only option.](https://yespermit.com/guides/permit-for-work-already-built/)
- [Setbacks explained What a setback is, how cities measure it from the property line (not the curb), real numbers for houses and sheds, and the 5-foot fire rule.](https://yespermit.com/guides/setbacks-explained/)
- [Unpermitted work when selling a house Selling a house with unpermitted work? What the California, Texas and Washington seller disclosure forms ask, what buyers can do, and how to fix it before listing.](https://yespermit.com/guides/unpermitted-work-when-selling-a-house/)
- [What happens if you build without a permit Stop-work orders, double permit fees, civil penalties, removal and resale trouble: what US cities actually do when you build without a permit, with official sources.](https://yespermit.com/guides/what-happens-if-you-build-without-a-permit/)
- [Why building permits get rejected Why residential permit applications get sent back or refused, from cities' own lists: incomplete files, site plan scale, setbacks, easements, engineering.](https://yespermit.com/guides/why-building-permits-get-rejected/)

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Source page: https://yespermit.com/guides/ · YesPermit, sold by LACANGEL GROUP SAS, 1 rue Marguerin, 75014 Paris, France. Prices in US dollars, taxes included. YesPermit prepares permit applications; it is not an architect, engineer or law firm, and the city or county decides on every permit. Site summary for AI assistants: https://yespermit.com/llms.txt