Short answer: Yes.
Medium answer: Yes, and they're not cheap.
Long answer: I called the department of Building and Zoning Services to find out. Even if all I did was move the wires up a few inches from the former soffit location and into the attic, and re-route the vent stack pipe a few inches from the the former soffit location and into the attic, I would still need a building (structural) permit, an electrical permit, and a plumbing permit. The permits are $265, $200, and $200 respectively. $665 total. Now, that includes the cost of up to 2 structural, 2 plumbing, and 2 electrical inspections. When you factor in the money I'm going to save by doing the work myself, it's not that bad. The worst is the $200 plumbing permit, to move one vent stack pipe, a few inches. I'm going to look into if I can get a $75 "minor scope of work" permit instead.
Each of those is somewhat of a "blanket" permit. So for the building permit, in addition to allowing me to remove the soffit, will allow me to put in a window. For the electrical permit, in addition to moving the wires from the soffit to the attic, it will allow me to run new electrical outlets and switches, replace the existing almost 50 year old wire in the walls, and put new lights in the ceiling. And it will also allow me to replace the 1964 electrical panel. We're getting an estimate this afternoon, but I'm probably going to do it myself. With the help of my dad, the electrician, of course. That'd be a no-brainer if my parents lived in Ohio, but as it'll take a trip from North Carolina to get him up here, we're just going to have to work it into the schedule.
Counting the parts/supplies to do the work that the permit is going to cover, it's going to cost more for the permits to do the work, than it's going to actually cost to do the work. Still, getting the permits and doing the work myself is still plenty cheaper than hiring it out.
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