Are your permits very expensive? Where I live, Island County in WA State, permits are not excessively priced and I don't mind needing to get a permit for things like building an addition or wiring in a generator sub-panel. I can put a shed that is 200 square feet or less without a permit but any larger you need a permit and an inspection. This inspection is important. It protects me because it makes sure my building is up to code and so if it burns down or something my insurance will cover the damage. The inspection also protects other people from any mistakes I might make, such as not having an elevated deck properly supported and attached to the house. The electrical inspection is done by the state and the inspectors I have had out to check my work were always very thorough, and asked me pointed questions to find out if I understood what I was doing. You of course may not feel this way but I have found, from doing my own stuff, that inspections and permits have been positive. When I put in my septic system I had never even sat on a backhoe and knew nothing about septic systems. But I had an engineer do the engineering work, as required by the county, then I went about putting in the system. The county inspector came out several times a week to make sure things were going OK and to offer advice. By the time I was ready to cover the infiltrators the head county health inspector was bringing other inspectors by to have them see what a proper infiltrator type septic system should look like.
