True, but children can run much faster than a permitting process.
Maybe in the cabinetry case there was a giant van with a company logo parked out front.
Either way, permits shouldn't be required for non-disruptive (and a van being in someone's driveway is not disruptive), non-structural changes to a house.
Something like this actually happened to a former colleague of mine. They installed a safety rail on their front porch. Someone complained.