Hold up, are permits really that serious for every little thing? I mean, sometimes it feels like overkill. Like my neighbor had to get a permit just to put up a garden shed. Or when you want to change a faucet and suddenly it's a whole process. Maybe for big stuff, sure, but a lot of times it's just red tape getting in the way.
Saw a post online where a guy did his own wiring without a permit and his insurance wouldn't cover the fire damage. Makes you think. I had a friend redo a bathroom and the inspector caught a bad vent setup, could have caused mold. It's a pain for sure, like @lunalee said, but sometimes that red tape is the only thing making sure stuff is done right. Just sucks it has to be so slow and expensive.