"Code-Compliant" vs. "Permit-Approved": Not Always the Same Thing

Permit approval is based on a review of submitted drawings and calculations; it's a check on the design, not a certification of the finished physical result. Construction can still deviate from what was approved — intentionally or by mistake — and some of those deviations only get caught, if ever, at a later inspection stage or not at all if an inspection is missed or skipped.

This is part of why "it's permitted" and "it's code-compliant" get used almost interchangeably in casual conversation but aren't strictly the same claim. A rigorous inspection process narrows that gap significantly, but it's worth understanding the difference, especially when buying an older property where you're relying on someone else's paper trail rather than your own.