This is a question about the ability of doing remodeling on one's own, compared to hiring licensed contractors.
I realize some remodeling/repairs require permits from your local township/city to be "legal" upgrades that are registered for benefits of resale and taxation.
Examples (and not sure if this includes a full list) would be adding/removing walls, replacing roof and/or shingles (permits for this is required in Flint, MI), electrical outlets (possibly needing to submit new electrical blueprints); I would assume that plumbing wouldn't need any town/city permits.
Also it is my understanding that only jobs requiring permits actually need any type of inspection. Is this correct/wrong? But the biggest question that I have for this is it possible to pull a permit for say electrical work, do the work yourself (making sure to follow all NEC regulations), and then have it inspected to be qualified to the town/city? As well as inspections of such type are done by certified masters of that field or is that a different certification to be an inspector?
Best Answer
It seems your question has two issues: 1) Can a homeowner work on their house and what can they do? and 2) Are permits / inspections required on all work by the homeowner?
First, what the home owner can work on: A home owner can work on all facets of construction, including plumbing, electrical, structural, etc. whether they are licensed or not.
Second, what needs a Permit and Inspections: The Code is divided into two sections: 1) Maintenance, and 2) Construction, repair, improvements, renovation, etc. So, painting, replacing cabinets, replacing carpet, etc. is maintenance and do NOT require a Building Permit or an inspection. For construction, improvements, etc. a Building Permit and inspections are required. Usually the governing factor for this is if there is "structural" work, not, as you say, "for upgrading for resale." However, each jurisdiction (City, County, etc.) has there own interpretation of this. (For instance, where I live, a Permit is not required for installing a new roof (it's considered maintenance), but in a neighboring town, they do require a permit, (its considered construction).) So, I agree with Kris, contact your local Building Department.
HOWEVER, all plumbing and electrical requires the appropriate Permit. This is due to what the call, "Health and welfare of the community ." They don't want you contaminating the neighborhood or burning it down.
By the way, inspections come with the permit. That is to say, when you pay for the permit, certain inspections are required and you are required to notify them you're ready for their inspection. (Inspections are great, because for those of us that don't know quite how to dye things, especially plumbing and electrical, they'll tell us when we screwed up.)
This is ONLY for residential structures. All others, (i.e.: commercial, industrial, governmental, multi-family, etc.) is different and the owner of the building cannot work on the building, unless they are licensed by the State. AND all structures over 4,000 square feet require an architect's or engineer's stamp.