By Helen Callier, Contributing Writer
Raise your hand if you have read my articles before. Okay, I see your hands. Now, keep your hands up if you know one of my tenets for building permitting is “Get started early.” Great! Thank you for your participation, and read below.
Building permitting can be one of the most frustrating aspects of any construction project. And when operating in some industries that have 1% to 2% margins, as in the grocery industry, every dollar that can be saved is critical to the bottom line and in satisfying customers’ needs.
So, when a large E&C company executive said to me during a recent conversation that permitting services on a multimillion-dollar commercial ground-up project would not be needed until the construction documents are finished, the hairs on the crown of my head were signaling, “There’s a better way to handle permitting to save time and money.” After listening to all the details and difficult aspects of the project, I shared with him a few of the many benefits of starting earlier with permitting to minimize delays.
Here are 5 benefits of starting in the early phases with building permitting:
- Helps the architect, contractor, and project owner to identify any changes at jurisdiction that could impact plan reviews and construction start. Changes at jurisdictions could be staffing levels, adoption of new ordinances, new amendments, updated building codes, varying workloads in departments, and so on.
- Allows the architect, contractor, etc. to ask questions in advance to assist in shaping design and possible options to pursue. This benefit alone can save thousands of dollars on a project.
- Provides an opportunity to gather jurisdiction data that may create havoc on a project. For example, should you pull one permit, or are multiple permits best? Also, it allows you to gain insight on how signage can be handled.
- Saves time and money, plus minimizes headaches associated with the permitting process.
- Provides relevant information to input into a project’s risk mitigation plan that the full team uses to ensure that project goals are being met and the customer is happy.
The above is a snapshot of the benefits of starting during the early phase of design and construction with permitting. Trust me, your customer will appreciate hearing that you are considering and factoring in an area that can become a pain in the project. Starting early is the recommended way.
Members of the PermitUsNow team have heard plenty of stories where major structures were designed in hurricane country and were unable to pass reviews because the architect used the wrong wind load and unfortunately caused major delays. Checking the jurisdiction’s web site or meeting with a plan reviewer during the early design phase; and before the plans were buttoned-up would have eliminated this error. Yet, it happens, which is the reason I keep a steady presence in this publication sharing insights, tips, and lessons learned for contractors, architects, and project owners to benefit.
What appears easy to do often is underestimated and relegated to a lesser task. Starting early, you will be on the smoother road to beginning your construction project in a timely manner. Yes, the unexpected pops up, but I guarantee that you will be more prepared to handle surprises when you start during the early phases with permitting.
If you have any interesting stories about obtaining permits, please connect with me on Linkedin or call me at 1.844.PERMIT.4. I would love to hear your story. Visit PermitUsNow at www.permitusnow.com to find out more about our permitting services. #Buildsafe
