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Pasco County, FL
The Fox Residence
Code EnforcementUnpermitted Room AdditionContractor Recovery
“The room was built. The permit never was. Then it got worse.”
The Fox family had hired a contractor to enclose their back porch and turn it into a living room. The work looked fine. But the contractor never pulled a permit — and when a neighbor complained, Pasco County code enforcement showed up and issued a violation notice.
⚠What We Walked Into
- An unpermitted room addition already built and occupied, with a code enforcement case open and a compliance deadline.
- The original contractor had collected a partial deposit and stopped returning calls. He was gone.
- The Foxes were facing the possibility of having to tear down the addition entirely if it didn't pass inspection.
- There was no permitted record of the work — no plans, no inspections, nothing.
⚙How We Solved It
- We stepped in as contractor of record, taking legal responsibility for the work that had already been done.
- Our licensed engineer performed a full structural assessment of the addition and produced as-built drawings documenting existing conditions.
- We submitted an after-the-fact permit application to the county with the engineer's plans and affidavit, establishing that the construction met code requirements.
- We coordinated the inspection sequence and walked the project through county review.
- We prepared a formal demand letter on behalf of the Foxes to pursue recovery of the original contractor's deposit.
✓The Result
- After-the-fact permit issued and closed by Pasco County.
- Code enforcement case closed — no fines assessed.
- Addition legally permitted and habitable.
- Demand letter sent; contractor ultimately returned the deposit.
The room is still there. The permit is on record. And the contractor paid.
Got a Similar Situation?
We've seen it before. Let's talk.
Whether it's a code violation, an after-the-fact permit, or a FEMA compliance issue — call us before you start guessing what to do next.