In this concluding commentary on the firm’s title insurance work, we summarize the series and offer practical advice to homeowners and homebuyers. The key lesson: residential title insurance policies cover far more than title alone, including many physical problems with a home that owners assume fall outside their coverage.

Local Authority Search coverage is one of the more useful protections in a residential title insurance policy, and one insurers tend to read narrowly. This commentary traces how the coverage developed, why a building permit that was only “opened” is not the same as one properly closed, and what that means when a homeowner later discovers unpermitted or uninspected work.

You saved for years, bought a home, and then discovered it was not built properly, perhaps not even safe to live in. This commentary explains “Building Permit” coverage under a residential title insurance policy: what it covers when a previous owner built without a required permit, and how it fits alongside claims against vendors, builders, and inspectors.