Add-On to Any Inspection $20 Fee Portland Metro & SW Washington

The BuildChek Report:
Know What Was Permitted Before You Close

The inspection tells you what the home looks like right now. The BuildChek report tells you what was actually permitted, inspected, and signed off. And what wasn't. For $20, it's hard to find a better use of that money.

Schedule & Add BuildChek → (971) 202-1311
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WHAT IS BUILDCHEK

The Inspection Can't Tell You What Was Permitted.

I look at what I can see, test, and operate. That's the job. But there's one thing I can't tell you during an inspection: whether the work was ever permitted.

Did someone pull a permit for that finished basement? Was the electrical panel replacement inspected? Is there an open permit sitting on the property that could cause problems when you try to refinance? I don't have access to that during the inspection. BuildChek does.

It's an independent service that pulls permit records, code violation history, and open permit data for the property address. You get a clean PDF delivered the same day as your inspection report. Sellers don't always know about unpermitted work either, especially in older homes that have changed hands several times.

Add it at booking. It costs $20. There's nothing else to do.

$20

That's it. Added to your inspection at booking. No separate appointment, no extra step, no waiting around for a different company to show up.

1 in 4

About one in four Portland-area homes has some kind of unpermitted improvement. Finished basements and garage conversions are the most common. A lot of sellers genuinely don't know.

Unpermitted work isn't always sketchy. Sometimes the previous owner just didn't bother with the paperwork. But it matters for your title, your financing, and eventually your own sale. Better to know now.

Pairs well with a buyer's home inspection on any property with visible renovation history.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

What's Actually in the Report

It's a formatted PDF, not a raw county printout. Here's what you'll see.

Permit Pull History

Every permit pulled for the address, listed in order. Electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, general construction. You can see what work was reported to the jurisdiction and when it was pulled.

Open and Expired Permits

A permit that was pulled but never finaled shows as open. That means someone started the work under a permit but never had a final inspection. Open permits can create real problems with title, financing, and your own future sale.

Code Violation Records

If the jurisdiction has a violation on file for this property, it shows up. Resolved or not. An unresolved violation is a material fact in most real estate deals and can be a surprise at closing if nobody caught it ahead of time.

Multi-Jurisdiction Coverage

BuildChek pulls from multiple city and county databases in one search. You don't have to log into Portland's permit portal, then Multnomah County's, then Washington County's. It's one report that covers the relevant sources.

ℹ️ Heads up: BuildChek is a third-party service. Coverage depends on what each jurisdiction has digitized. The report shows what's in the databases at the time of the search. It's not a title search and doesn't replace one.
HOW IT WORKS

Added at Booking, Delivered with Your Report

Nothing to schedule separately. Just add it when you book and it shows up alongside your inspection findings.

1

Add It When You Book

Select it online or mention it when you call. The $20 goes on your inspection total. That's the whole process on your end.

2

BuildChek Pulls the Records

The property address gets submitted to BuildChek. They search the relevant city and county permit databases and put together the report.

3

You Get Both Reports Together

The BuildChek PDF comes with your home inspection report. If the permit history shows something worth talking through, we can do that right then, with full context from the inspection.

4

Use It in Your Deal

Open permits and violations are documented findings. You can share the PDF with your agent, your lender, or your attorney. If something needs to be resolved before closing, you have the paperwork to back it up.

WHEN TO ADD IT

When Does Permit History Matter Most?

Honestly, it's worth checking on every home. But these four situations are where it really counts.

Finished Basements and Additions

This is where unpermitted work shows up most often. If the home has a finished basement or a room addition, the BuildChek report tells you whether permits were pulled and whether a final inspection ever happened.

Garage Conversions and ADUs

Garage conversions and accessory dwelling units get built without permits all the time. Portland's ADU rules have shifted a lot over the years, so permit history tells you what was legally established and what was just done.

Older Portland Homes

A house built in 1952 has probably had four or five owners. Most of them did something. Not all of them pulled permits. The BuildChek report on a 1940s or 1960s home often returns a permit history that says more than the seller disclosure does. See what buying an older Portland home typically turns up on inspection.

Homes with Visible Renovation

New kitchen. Updated bathrooms. Replaced panel. Fresh roof. If you can see that work was done, the BuildChek report tells you whether it was done with permits. That matters more than most buyers realize when it comes time to sell.

SAMPLE REPORT

Here's What the Report Looks Like

It's a clean PDF. Not a printout from a government portal. Each permit shows the type, the date it was pulled, who pulled it, and whether a final inspection was ever done.

If nothing is open and there are no violations, that shows up clearly too. A clean report is still a useful report. It means you're not walking into something with permit baggage.

You get this alongside your home inspection report, typically the same day. Share it directly from the PDF with your agent, your lender, or your attorney.

View sample BuildChek PDF
Sample BuildChek permit history report
Sample BuildChek Report — Click to Open PDF
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

BuildChek Report FAQ

BuildChek is a third-party service that pulls permit history, open permit flags, and code violation records for a property address. It searches multiple jurisdiction databases and puts the results into a clean PDF. Visit buildchek.com to learn more about the service itself.
Inspectors look at what we can see, test, and operate. Permit records aren't part of that. They live in separate databases across multiple jurisdictions, and pulling them isn't part of the inspection standards of practice. BuildChek is a separate tool built specifically for that research. The two reports cover different things and work well together.
$20, added to your inspection when you book. See the pricing page for base inspection rates and all add-ons, including radon testing, mold testing, and sewer scope.
It becomes a documented finding to work with. Common outcomes: requiring the seller to close out the permit before closing, asking for a credit, or adjusting the price. Your agent handles the negotiation part. You just need the documentation to put it on the table. The post-inspection process page covers how buyers typically use findings like this.
No. They cover different things. The title search looks at ownership, liens, and encumbrances. The BuildChek report looks at construction permits and code violations. Your title company handles one. BuildChek handles the other. Neither replaces the other.
A few. Radon testing is $150 and I recommend it on most homes in the Portland metro and Clackamas County. Mold air quality testing and sewer scope inspection are also available. All of them get added at booking and built around the same appointment.
ADD IT TO YOUR INSPECTION

BuildChek Report. $20 at Booking.

Add it when you schedule. Get it with your inspection report. No separate appointment, no extra step.

$20 — Added to Any Inspection
(971) 202-1311 Schedule & Add BuildChek →

Questions? Call, text, or email office@trustedhome.org