Raleigh, NC

Raleigh is the state capital and the largest city in the Triangle, which means the housing stock runs the full range. Inside the Beltline you find pre-war bungalows and 1950s ranches where a renovation turns up knob-and-tube wiring and cast iron drain lines. North Raleigh and the outer suburbs are mostly 1990s onward, where the jobs are more often first roof replacements and HVAC changeouts.

The city runs its own inspections department, so a permit inside city limits goes through Raleigh rather than Wake County. That catches people out on addresses with a Raleigh mailing address that sit outside the city.