By Contributing Writer Helen Callier
Frustrations and complaints continue to be the order of the day for the City of Houston Permitting Center. And while the majority of architects, engineers, developers and contractors know that any kind of delay in submitting and having plans reviewed at City Permitting costs time, money and can impact the start date for construction, they may not realize that some of the simplest reasons can be the cause for delay. From our experience of expediting permits on many types of projects, below are the top five reasons for delays cited by City Permitting Plan Reviewers.
Top Five Reasons and Tips to Avoid Delays in City Permitting:
No signature on submitted plan set – Designing architects and engineers are busy and may be working on multiple projects and while it is a simple mistake, many times the professional forgets to sign the drawings. In turn, City Permitting does not accept plan set until signed. Tip: Sign drawings.
No professional stamp or seal not decipherable i.e. smeared – While the drawings may be signed, another reason for possible delay is when the professional’s seal or stamp on drawings is smeared, distorted and not readable. This is an avoidable mistake that can create a delay during submission or in the review process. Tip: Review plan set to confirm quality seal in place.
Failure to respond to rejections – When areas on the drawings are incorrect or not understood or is a gray area in complying with building codes then the Plan Reviewer will create a rejection notice. Each rejection is to be responded to and corrected where needed and not doing so can cause an immediate and sometimes substantially long delays. Tip: Respond to all rejections. 
Not considering building permit during design phase – Last minute thinking about needing a building permit often causes errors on drawings and can result in key items on the City Permitting checklist to be missed. This scenario can create a very stressful experience for all parties involved including City Plan Reviewers, plus cause significant delays to submit and in reviewing plan set. Tip: Plan ahead.
Taking a long time to respond to rejections from City Permitting – Often times once the plans are submitted into building permitting, the architect or engineer may have shifted to working on new projects. This can create an overburdened scenario resulting in the architect or engineer taking an inordinate amount of time to respond to City Permitting rejections and then resubmit plan set with corrections. Tip: Schedule to make corrections in a timely manner.
We realize it is important not only for our clients, but for the industry as a whole to focus on what their organization does best; and we’re here to take away the hassles of obtaining building permits including avoiding simple mistakes that can cause unnecessary delays. Visit us at www.permitusnow.com to assist for additional information on building permits and expediting, and continue reading Subcontractors USA for our next article on assistance in your small architectural or contractor’s organization.
Helen Callier, CEO of Permit Us Now, LLC, is the leader in one-stop building permit expediting and consulting services in the Houston Area. Connect @PermitUsNow on Twitter and Facebook.
