If I remember correctly, the permit is issued to the person who pulled and signed for it. That is why it is best the homeowner signs the paperwork. The contractor can do all the leg work and bring papers back for homeowner to sign. Doing it that way you can change the contractor name on your permit and resubmit with out all the hassle. Again I'm not sure, but when doing renovations on my house I ran into the same problem and I did what I mentioned above.
