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 of feat through the years, including Billy “White Shoes” Johnson during the Luv Ya Blue Houston Oilers days in Texas.
A 45 to 60 seconds run to score a touchdown appears easy, but the truth is when looking behind the scenes, you’ll see it requires a lot of work. The players’ speed, agility, and abilities to avoid being tackled are attributed to preparation involving run routines, checking results of exercises, proper nutrition, mindset, and a host of other elements.
This same thrill of a 90-yard run to a touchdown can occur when a contractor or architect goes through permitting without any rejections or delays. And like the well-trained football player, the effort to obtain a permit requires upfront work.
Below are five tips to assist you in scoring a building permit in short order on your next project.
- Suit up and start early, reviewing permitting steps during the planning phase.
- Check to make sure all design plans are stamped, clearly signed and are for construction. For smaller projects not requiring a licensed architect or engineer, make sure plans are drawn to scale, notations are clear, and plan adheres to jurisdiction’s standards (i.e. building codes, title block, etc.).
- Pull the latest permitting checklist from the jurisdiction’s website to confirm meeting all requirements, including pre-requisite documents.
- Contact jurisdiction plan reviewers to ask questions in advance, and request a pre-submittal meeting, if needed.
- Package submittal per jurisdiction’s checklist for online or manual submission. Complete permit application in full.
Following through with the above 5 tips can enhance your success in obtaining permits fast. And as a contractor or architect, obtaining building permits per your construction schedule contributes to your financial success on projects and helps satisfy your customer’s project requirements.
“But Helen, you don’t realize the city’s online system is confusing… the jurisdiction uses an old IBC… the Plan Reviewer does not like me… I don’t have the time for permitting… and on and on.”
The bottom line is that regardless of the condition of the playing field at the city, county, MUD, etc., if you follow the basics in the early stages of your project, your chances of running through the departmental reviews without a major tackle is achievable and repeatable.
In Conclusion
The PermitUsNow team receives a lot of phone calls and emails from contractors, architects, and project owners asking all sorts of questions about their permitting blockages. Regardless of what phase of programming, design, or construction the caller may be in, our technical staff filters permitting challenges through the lenses of the basics. The simple practices, like the five tips to score a permit in a timely manner, can help you win most of the time.
If you have a permitting story with tips of success, I’d love to hear from you. I am the president of PermitUSNow, so connect with me at 1.844.PERMIT.4 or on LinkedIn. #BuildSafe
