Flipping, Permits, Contractors - Oh my!

[Jonathan Barby]

Hey Everybody!

I am looking into the possibility of getting into flipping. If successful build up my purchasing power and will probably consider a mix of fix and flip, brrr, and tax exchange in the long run.:)

I moved to NC and have a duplex. One of the things I found out is that for anything that is not owner occupied and requires a permit I have to hire a professional contractor due to state law! Needless to say I was disappointed. I have no problem with doing the work right and getting permits withing reason which is what research is for. In NC I have seen there are some crazy laws. Like I can replace wood paneling with Sheetrock without a permit but I cannot put insulation into the walls without a permit. Which there may be a good reason for the permit but in that case I could have to hire a fully licensed contractor to buy insulation from home depot and put it in the walls!

Does anyone know of a resource for knowing which states that are more DIY friendly? So that in the event you want to do it yourself with permits or contractors are not available in a timely manner you can do it yourself do it right and get it done and move on to the next opportunity.

NC LAW snippet:

A person may construct or alter a building on land owned by that person without having a general
contractor’s license so long as the building is intended solely for occupancy by the owner and his
family AND the owner obtains all required permits. If such an owner fails to occupy the
building for at least 12 months after completion, then it is presumed that the requisite intent was
absent at the inception. In order to obtain the necessary permits, the owner must also file an
affidavit with the local inspection department attesting that s/he is the owner of the property, that
s/he will personally superintend and manage all aspects of the construction and will not delegate
that duty to any unlicensed person, and the owner must be personally present for all inspections.

[Waylon Zook]

@Jonathan Barby the county where im at in Indiana allows any owner to self perform renovations or new construction on anything they own. The only licensing required is for septic installers and possibly well drilling.