We often hear contractors and architects bemoaning having to go to City Permitting to meet with Plan Reviewers. Many say that it is a waste of time talking with a Plan Reviewer that does not seem to listen to them during the meeting. Some even believe the Plan Reviewer is out to get them and leaves the contractor or architect in fear of never receiving a building permit for their project.
While many permitting departments across the US are working with tight budgets that challenge city permitting staffs’ ability to provide a good customer experience, this is not an excuse for unproductive plan review meetings. Even in this scenario, from my team’s experience, using the initial two of five to be presented tips below can help you to effectively communicate during meetings with Plan Reviewers.
Be positive
Having a negative attitude is the fastest way to have a lousy meeting with city Plan Reviewers where everything you say will fall on deaf ears and will cause further delays in obtaining your building permit. A positive attitude helps set the tone of the meeting and when combined with proactive positive words, moves you forward in gaining a better understanding of issues with plans and the best way to quickly resolve them. Before your next scheduled meeting with a city Plan Reviewer or talking on the phone, check your attitude to make sure it is positive. Note: In some jurisdictions Plan Reviewers do not take phone calls and you must schedule appointments in advance to meet with them. Visit the appropriate jurisdiction website for more information.
Treat others as you like to be treated
Jurisdiction building codes to City design standards to Plan Reviewer preferences must be taken into consideration when attempting to pull a building permit. Just like pretty much everyone in the world, Plan Reviewers want to be respected for the job they are performing and contributions they provide.
And while your construction project may be on hold due to delays waiting on a building permit, treating others as you like to be treated is an important universal law that goes a long way. This means, as frustrating as the situation is in handling repeated plan rejections or nonproductive plan review meetings, avoid talking down to Plan Reviewers and treating them as if they are incompetent in conducting plan reviews. We have found that finding common ground, i.e. an area where you can agree on and be willing to see certain aspects of the plan including rejections from the Reviewer’s position is helpful in achieving your objective of obtaining a building permit.
In Conclusion
In today’s marketplace, using effective communication skills is vital in the success of pulling a building permit in a timely manner and proceeding into construction. And with all the stories we hear in the industry, the aforementioned soft skills are proven in creating a win-win scenario most of the time.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of my series on effective communication in the next issue; and if you have any questions on building permitting in the US, just let me know by visiting www.permitusnow.com or call 1.844.PERMIT.4. Build safe.
