By Helen Callier, Subcontractors USA Contributing Writer Have you ever witnessed a kick-off return where the receiver ran 93 yards to score a touchdown? This was the case for a rookie player on the Baltimore Ravens team at the opening of the 2020 NFL season, and there have been numerous other examples of this kind…
Three years ago, one of the most devastating storms to hit the Texas Gulf Coast caused over $125 billion in damage and made a horrendous impact in the Houston area. Today, the PermitUsNow continues to receive phone calls from Contractors, Architects, and property owners with pleas for assistance in obtaining building permits to restore and…
The past few months have thrown many Contractors into a frenzy figuring out how to submit plan electronically. While some contractors plowed on through and wasted time figuring out how to submit, others attempted to go the jurisdiction only to be told to submit online, and then, there were those contractors so frustrated, they proceeded…
Hurricane season officially kicked off along the Texas Gulf Coast area on June 1,2020 and runs through November 2020. And while this region has experienced many thunderstorms, major floods and hurricanes over the years that wreaked havoc, Hurricane Harvey, and its aftermath in 2017, was a wake-up call still fresh in our memory that created…
Scratching your head attempting to figure out how to obtain your building permit when the Permitting Center is closed to walk-ins during epidemic? You are not alone. Our toll-free line has been ringing with questions from Architects to Contractors. Questions like the following: Can you tell me if the City of San Antonio is still…
The City of Fort Worth is teaming up with PeopleFund to launch the Business Resiliency Microloan Program, which is prepared to provide at least $850,000 to eligible businesses in Fort Worth who are being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll or accounts payable, or cover other…
Here’s what we have learned over the years in expediting building permits across the state of Texas and areas in the United States: Regardless if the economy is hot, warm or cold, obtaining a building permit fast is crucial for starting a project on time and in opening new businesses, roadways, etc. for use. This…
Going to the Permitting Center sucks time from small contractors’ busy days that are often filled with worries about construction tasks and budgets. Many contractors will call us voicing their frustrations about delays in permitting and the challenge of going back and forth talking with Plan Reviewers that seem not to hear what they are…
We receive a lot of phone calls from desperate project owners and often some contractors wave at us or knock on the window of our wrapped trucks at a particular jurisdiction. Conversations vary on types of projects and the kinds of problems being experienced. So, when a contractor approached me a few weeks ago in…
ConsensusDocs announced the publication of a new industry standard public-private partnership (P3) agreement. The ConsensusDocs 900 Standard P3 Agreement and General Conditions is a pioneering document from ConsensusDocs that represents a vast improvement of P3 agreements. Consistent with the ConsensusDocs philosophy, the document provides a fair and balanced standard for a P3 project to design,…
In the construction industry, the contract between parties is the principle source for determining the parties’ respective obligations. Project managers, superintendents, and other project-related personnel are routinely trained to review and understand contracts and administer projects in accordance with an industry understanding of the Contract. When juggling multiple projects, contractors are required to properly manage…
When the most gifted artist ever – Kanye West – is denied a building permit in Wyoming, do you toss up your hands and say, “if it happens to Kanye, how can I get my permit”. Or do you shake your head from side-to-side and give up? Or do you complain that jurisdictions are getting…
The very top of a construction project may have the biggest impact on a company’s bottom line. Workers for The Boldt Company, a member of multiple AGC chapters, routinely work 120-130 feet in the air on large power and industrial plant jobsites and the slightest misstep could result in personal injury and devastating losses to…
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), falls are the leading cause of private sector worker fatalities in the construction industry. Everyone who works at heights, whether it’s on a roof, scaffolding, or the edge of a tall building, should have properly fitting safety harnesses, yet not all contractors have the supply they need to…
We receive many calls from Contractors, Project Owners and Architects from across the country. Many are frustrated with their plans being stuck in permitting with no glimmer of hope that their permit will be issued any time soon. Some of these calls reveal tough designs that require changes to meet building codes and from reviewing…
So, a contractor just finished the punch list on their customer’s renovated building; and they are feeling good that they wrapped up the project early and managed to make a good profit. After a few weeks, as the customer starts the process to sell their building, a fear rushes over them because they are unable…
Contractors, do you understand that you are throwing away hundreds of thousands of dollars and risking your business when you skirt around regulations by starting and completing a construction project without obtaining a building permit? Sure, they take time out of your busy day, are challenging to obtain and involve lots of documents, but the…
Admit it! You have checked the box next to the Terms and Conditions when making a purchase or signing a contract and never actually look at the terms and conditions a million times. We have all signed contracts without reviewing each paragraph, often just focusing on what it’s going to cost us and how long…
The truth is pulling a residential building permit when required is the right thing to do for your customer and it minimizes your liability as a contractor. It is exciting to see trucks rolling, hammers swinging, and a lot of contractors participating in the estimated $450 billion home remodeling market in the U.S. And while…
Many home repairs do not require a permit, yet like clockwork, this time of year in late Spring, our phones start ringing with questions about when a permit is needed. From contractors to home owners and even house flippers, here are a few questions that we have answered. “We are widening our bathroom doors and…
