Should I get a permit?

[Hannah Karlovich]

I am adding value to my primary residence by adding a shower to a half bath and adding interior square footage by insulating the laundry room portion of the garage. I'm doing the majority of the work myself and only contracting out the rough in plumbing. Originally I had planned to get the required permits from the city, but I had a contractor that I work with recommend to not go through the time, money, and headache of the permitting process since it's my primary residence and I can most likely "get away" with it. I plan to refinance this property in a year and a half and turn it into a long-term rental, so I am weighing the short-term benefit advice from this contractor with the risk of getting pegged for doing work without a permit. I live in a smaller and older suburb of Fort Worth where I am less likely to get tracked down (I see evidence of work on properties all around me that are clearly not permitted or up to code), but also know that the specs on the house will change with the appraisal district once I get the property refinanced. Interested in thoughts from those more experienced than I am. I want to do things the right way, but feel the pressure of a tight budget that will get drained considerably by the permit fee and multiple inspection fees.