Who is actually responsible for pulling the permits — you or me?

Illustrative — not a real business

We pull the permits as the general contractor on essentially every project, and that is the right arrangement for you as the homeowner — when the contractor holds the permit, the contractor is the one legally responsible for the work meeting code, which is exactly the protection you want if something is done incorrectly. Some contractors ask homeowners to pull an owner-builder permit instead, usually to work around a licensing requirement or avoid liability, and we would strongly caution against that arrangement — it shifts legal responsibility for code compliance onto you, the homeowner, often without you fully realizing that is what you agreed to. Once work is permitted, we schedule and are present for each required inspection throughout the project — rough framing, electrical and plumbing rough-in, and final inspection — coordinating directly with the local building department rather than leaving that to you. Skipping permits altogether to save time or money is a real risk: unpermitted work can complicate or kill a home sale down the line, may not be covered by homeowner's insurance if something goes wrong, and can require costly retroactive permitting or even removal if discovered. Permit fees are itemized separately in our contract at the actual municipal cost, not marked up, so you can see exactly what is being paid to the city versus to us.