The walls were of 3/4" Type - X gypsum drywall hung on steel 2"x6" frames rather than wood.

I say near  because several of the walls of the original building are still standing.

You just own the air between the walls in many cases.

The windows are in walls three and four.

We then added a wall to close off the water heater into a closet and finished drywalling the walls and ceilings.Are we totally screwed because we did not get permits to begin with?

Do they have to cut through the cabinets or open up the wall to get to it?

All that said I would not discuss the child's disability with this mom at all except where it results in damage to your property, if the noise is coming from ongoing door slamming, wall hitting, etc.

Hi Rebecca,With contractors --if you don't know how to spec a job there will be miscommunication and you will feel burned. ie, why was the wall left open after the electrician put in a new wire--why did the plumber leave all of the old fixtures in the hallway and then just bolt out the door, never to return and never to return your phone calls? 

If the walls are leaning then it gets costly.

We:Refinished the kitchen cabinets with a modern gray, replaced hardwarePainted the kitchen and bathroomAdded vanity and new faucet in bathroom, replacing a wall-mounted porcelain sinkRefinished the bathtub and shower surroundThe resulting unit was better than anything else in this working class neighborhood, matching the quality of nearby slightly more expensive town center (mall, restaurants, etc.) neighborhoods.