A building permit is the government authorization to proceed with construction — issued after plan review confirms the proposed design complies with applicable codes. It must be obtained before construction begins. A building inspection is the field verification that the actual construction conforms to the permitted drawings and codes — performed during construction at specific phase milestones. The permit authorizes the work; the inspections verify the work. A project with a permit but no inspections (permit pulled but never closed) leaves the homeowner with no verified record that work was built per the approved plans and is technically an open permit — a disclosure issue at resale. A project without a permit is unpermitted work — also a disclosure issue, typically with higher liability. In both cases, the homeowner has legal obligations and financial risk. RainFire Builders manages both: the permit is obtained before construction, and every required inspection is called, passed, and documented through to the final certificate of occupancy.