By Helen Callier, Contributing Writer
It can be challenging for some Contractors to keep their focus on what’s happening with their plans while in Permitting. Getting distracted with day-to-day tasks is one factor.
When I was waiting for my favorite tacos to go at a local restaurant, I started watching one of the large screen TVs near the bar. I saw a video of an old NFL football game and noticed that the wide receiver was just about to catch a pass when he took his eyes off the football to see how close the defensive players were to him.
Though many might think this was logical to do and something that they might even do if they were playing in that position, by taking his eyes off the football he failed to make the catch. Now it was 4th down and very long yards with the clock ticking and his team was behind in scoring. A single eye of focus would have shifted the momentum of the game in his team’s favor.
I grabbed my order of fresh avocado tacos and thought to myself that just like distractions can cause frustration and losses in games, the same occurs in Permitting when Contractors lose focus of what is going on with the review of your plans.
Every now and then a Plan Reviewer can create a distraction and cause a stir. And in the rush of your busy day, you miss what is really going on with your plans and you suffer more delays with unexpected rejection comments and RFIs. We get it! We’ve heard the stories over and over from Contractors calling our hotline for help with obtaining their permits.
Here’s what we know: when submitting plans to Permitting, you must keep your eye on the process to make sure reviews are occurring in a timely manner and you are responding to comments quickly.
Below are 5 key steps to keep a sharp eye on your plans during permitting.
1. QA/QC your submittal package prior to uploading it to the jurisdiction portal to make sure you have all the proper documents based on City’s Permitting guidelines.
2. Track your plans through a completeness check.
3. Monitor plans through departmental reviews for comments and RFIs.
4. Respond quickly to any City comments and RFIs, and resubmit properly.
5. Pull stamped and approved plans and pay for permits.
Distractions can cause football teams to lose games and even championships and losing focus can knock a Contractor off their game when consumed with other critical project tasks. It happens, and the above 5 basic steps are presented as helpful tips to keep you sharp.
If you have multiple projects that you are juggling and find that you’re really too busy to handle your own permitting, you can call 1.844.PERMIT.4 for help. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you.
So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. Call the PermitUsNow team at 1.844.PERMIT.4. Visit us on the web at permitusnow.com. #BuildCustomersDreams #BuildSafe
