As I write this article, Hurricane Dorian has decimated the Bahamas, blew passed Florida and is on its path along the southeast coast of the Carolinas leaving a swath of destruction behind. Local, regional and out-of-the-area contractors are positioned in the starting blocks to rush in on opportunities to rebuild, rehab and repair residential, commercial and other types of properties. This is business and a time to grow for many contractors in this market.

While most contractors operate on the straight arrow, it is a fact that some contractors get tempted to skirt-around building code ordinances and a few are scammers that never pull a construction permit. The latter is to be avoided at all costs.

For those contractors fighting the temptation to not pull a permit to save time, for contractors that are stretched with projects and for contractors that are unfamiliar with certain jurisdictions along the Southeast Coast of the United States and in the Bahamas, below are the top 7 reminders for always pulling a building permit when the project scope dictates.

#1. Makes sure you are building in a safe manner and in compliance with local codes. – Visit jurisdictions web site prior to moving into the area and consider speaking with Plan Reviewers for building codes information on the types of jobs you will be pursuing.

#2. Helps to maintain your business health and reputation in the marketplace – Being known as an ethical contractor that provides quality construction services in a professional manner rings volume in the industry. And on the flip side, doing shoddy work including intentionally not pulling building permits will tank your contracting business.

#3. Strengthens your relationships with customers

#4. Shows your customers that you adhere to local building ordinances and care about their project – An important aspect of your business that helps not only satisfy your customer but also assists in generating repeat business and possible referrals.

#5. Able to catch problems upfront and prevent costly errors on projects – Going through the permitting process can show you where there are gaps in the design or missing information that ultimately assists in preventing costly mistakes during construction.

#6. Relieves undue stress driven by fear of not following jurisdiction laws when having a building permit in hand

#7. Maintains a clean record and keeps the cost of bonds, insurance and doing business reasonable – If not managed and controlled, the cost of doing business can eat away your bottom-line profits. Pulling a building permit upfront and providing a copy to your customer during pre-construction aids in keeping your costs low.

In conclusion:

Natural disasters create business opportunities for contractors. To truly capitalize on short term and long-term gains, make sure to follow local jurisdiction building code requirements and realize that compliance matters to your customers, the public plus have a great impact on the future of your business. PermitUsNow has an office in Jacksonville, Florida and is familiar with jurisdictions along with the east coast of Florida. If you have any questions when pursuing work in the area or have additional reminders for obtaining construction permits, please call 1.844.PERMIT.4. #BuildSafe