anch_ahh
anch_ahh t1_jdbghen wrote
Reply to comment by calguy1955 in LPT: If you're buying a house still under construction, photograph everything before the sheetrock goes up. Knowing exactly where the pipes, wires, and ducts are may prove invaluable some day, and even if you never use them the next owner will appreciate it. by Needleroozer
Architect here. What you said is absolutely untrue. Some counties may not require a permit for residential, but typically non-residential structures require a permit. Your county's permitting or records department has a copy of all permitted plans including structural, mechanical, electrical, and whatever else is required to get the permit. Now, how well they kept the records is another story. I've seen the historical stuff stored on microfiche or microfilm and you need to use a special machine to see it, however I believe some counties are making efforts to digitize their records. Also the accuracy of where things are is a hit or miss due to the nature of construction.
anch_ahh t1_jdbgvwu wrote
Reply to comment by RickAstleyletmedown in LPT: If you're buying a house still under construction, photograph everything before the sheetrock goes up. Knowing exactly where the pipes, wires, and ducts are may prove invaluable some day, and even if you never use them the next owner will appreciate it. by Needleroozer
That's what good contractors do. Unfortunately not all contractors are good contractors.