Earth Day 2022: 5 Changes in Permitting that Helps

Mother Earth is abundant, full of life and she has feelings. The conundrum is that humans have been poorly behaved inhabitants on the land, seas, and skies. Greed has played a critical role in causing major destruction of the environment including loss of ecosystems i.e. animals, plants, insects and more.

While man has live out of sync and has mistreated Planet Earth for a very long time, Mother Earth is still beautiful and its intelligence with the universe is righting its ship. Meaning like man’s body has its own immune system to fight off and normalize performance, Mother Earth is designed to clean, stabilize, evolve, and birth new solutions without man’s interference.

Construction of buildings and infrastructure of all kinds across the United States has adversely impacted Earth causing an out of balance scenario that we experience as major flooding, and so on.

March 2020 was a demarcation; and the pandemic caused a shift in construction, especially in building permitting where a significant number of jurisdictions across the United States transitioned from manual hard copy submissions of plan sets to online portals to submit. While new technology frustrated thousands of Architects and Contractors across the country over the last few years, ultimately this change in permitting greatly reduced the amount of reproduction of plans. Instead of printing 4 to maybe 5 sets of plans (up to full sized sheets), depending on the jurisdiction, day-in and day-out, was changed to submitting through electronic plans submissions. You can do the math to know that this was a major contribution and helps our planet.

In addition to electronic plans submission, below are 4 other changes that occurred in Permitting jurisdictions that help with sustaining Mother Earth.

• Increased adoption and use of virtual platforms for plan reviews and design meetings
• Use of online platforms for sharing plans during design development and CD phases, and to collaborate mark ups
• Leveraging Google Earth for site assessments and to gather field data versus driving to site
• Signing forms, contracts, etc. via electronic signature systems

The PermitUsNow team is committed to operating more in alignment with Mother Earth and are making the heart, mind, and physical investments to make a difference in our industry. In most environmental circles this is know as the “Green Initiative or Sustainability”, but for us it is caring, giving thanks, and being a good steward of our home – Mother Earth – where we live, breathe, and have our being.

In Conclusion

On the Earth Day 2022, the PermitUsNow team is excited to join others in the construction field in being green. Technology will continue to play a key role as highlighted above, but the greatest impact and opportunity to make a positive change is by caring for Mother Earth and in turn, she will take care of us for many years to come. Call 1.844.PERMIT.4 with any challenges you may be experiencing with the new electronic plans submission. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you. So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe

Sincere Gratitude to Jurisdiction Plan Reviewers

In November 2021, I wrote an article titled “The Top 7 Ways to say “Thank you” to City Plan Reviewers for Approving Your Plans for Permitting” to recognize the good work that jurisdiction Plan Reviewers, Plan Analysts, Code Enforcement Officers, Fire Marshalls, etc. do across the North America to make sure that buildings (commercial, residential, industrial) and infrastructure (roads, utilities, etc.) are built safe. You can find the article here and it is truly worth reading.

So, Helen, why are you writing another article about appreciating Permitting staff? Hearing the phrase “unprecedented number of plans in the system” repeated several times during a five-minute conversation with a department Manager at a local jurisdiction while pushing for specific department plan review touched me a certain way. “Unprecedented and please be patience” were conjoined so I made sure to respond by saying, “we truly are grateful for the City Plan Reviewers and know they are working as hard as they can.”

The conversation with the Manager in Permitting reminded me of the importance of saying “thank you” again, especially since they often are berated after Contractors and even Architects become disgruntled and complain about the terrible job the City is doing in Permitting. But City Plan Reviewers are working to the best of their abilities, pushing hard on behalf of new developments that serve communities across North America.

So before tossing around unkind words, take a deep breath, and be grateful that you have a team of City, County, Township, Parish, etc. Permitting employees that are focused on your plans meeting code and building safety.

Realizing that exhibiting empathy and a sense of gratitude are key when handling unprecedented workload and during a time where Permitting staff are stressed and pressed to meet plan review times, I was moved to reshare with readers the top 7 ways to say, “thank you” to City Plan Reviewers which you will find below.

It can be tough sometimes at the Permitting Center and saying “thank you” goes a long way in working with City Permitting staff and below are the top 7 ways to do so.

1. I appreciate your guidance on how the City applies abc building code on xyz type project.
2. Thank you for taking my call today. I realize how busy you are with an increased workload.
3. My sincere thanks for expediting this review. It really helped to eliminate further delays and save money for project owner.
4. I am grateful for you approving my project plans today so can start construction on time.
5. Thank you very much for doing xyz.
6. Thank you for all your hard work and working OT to finish this review./li>
7. Thanks a lot, we could not have gotten this approval without you today./li>

In Conclusion

Working in design and construction can be challenging, especially when experiencing delays in permitting. Experience has shown that a little kindness can make a difference and saying “thank you” helps the Permitting staff feel appreciated for the pressure work they do day-in and day-out. If you’re scratching your head about how to approach your local permitting authority on a building permit, call us at 1.844.PERMIT.4. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you. So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe

3 Ways to Spring Clean Your Permitting Files

A great time to jump start cleaning up your permitting files is during the Spring season. This is the time of the year that most folks feel energized and like to have a fresh start. It also provides a good opportunity to look at your permit to determine which ones are still open and require closing out.

While work may have been completed, too open permits at some jurisdictions can affect you from pulling permits for future projects as the jurisdiction wants to make sure final inspections and Certificate of Occupancies were issued. New permits may be placed on hold on properties where work was completed but not properly closed out.

So, take advantage of the Springtime to straighten up your files. Below are 3 ways that our building permitting experts suggest for cleaning up your files.

1. Use a Project Management tool or an online storage to retain and save copies of permits and stamped approved plans. You can organize your files by projects using a folder structure which makes it easy to locate. Also, an online solution allows you to access your permits and plans anytime and anywhere if you have Internet access. Note that there are a plethora of online storage platforms that you can choose from for file management. Some versions have a price range to fit a wide range of contractors’ budgets.
2. Use a permit tracking log book. PermitUsNow’s permit tracking log book offers contractors a simple way to denote permits obtained for multiple projects and is a handy journal book that Construction Project Managers find helpful.


PermitUsNow’s permit tracking log book

3. If you have hard copies of permits and plans, schedule a time to scan in these documents or consider sending to a reproduction company to handle task and save to a thumb drive or online for you. This in turn will free up your physical office space or truck and allow you the opportunity to become more efficient and productive.

In Conclusion

The Construction market continues to be strong in many geographical areas in the US where many contractors having a healthy pipeline of work. To mitigate delays in City Permitting, consider straightening up your current permitting files in the Springtime so you can use historical permitting information to help your design or construction firm to grow. So, grab hold of the 3 mentioned ways above or call at 1.844.PERMIT.4. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you. So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe

Contractors: 7 Ways to Feel More in Control of Your Permitting

Whether its concerns about material costs, supply chain issues, and labor shortages, stress feels awful. Consider these steps to find peace of mind and feel confident in obtaining your building permits.

List What Documents You Have Gathered About Project

This step helps to ease your nerves and provide a clear focus on items you have in hand and the documents you might be missing. This approach of writing which documents you have also, allow for your ideas to flow on the ways you can phase project work.

Look at Other Project’s History

Previous completed work that was properly permitted and closed out can provide clues and insights that can assist you in obtaining future permits, especially when project scopes are similar. This step can save you time and money.

Know that You Don’t Have to Have all Your Permits Upfront

Depending on the complexity including schedule demands of your project, it may be more prudent to phase your work. If you know that certain materials have long lead times, consider a deferred submittal which will allow your construction to start sooner. For new ground up buildings, consider the efficiency of starting civil or even foundation before vertical.

Ease Your Trades Anxiety

Often GC’s will work with a steady crew of trades that are trusted. Consider involving your mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades in your permitting solutions in a team like manner. Their early input can make a difference in minimizing the number of AHJ rejection comments stemming from plan reviews.

Get Help When You Need to Pull Permits

You most likely started your contracting business because you love construction but permitting is a hassle. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you. So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe

Contractors: Why You Must Read the State of the Construction Industry Article

Did you read the state of construction industry article in the SUBCONTRACTORS USA February 2022 issue? If you did not, you can still find this article online on pages 16 and 17 to read as it relays construction industry stats that can be useful for you to plan, develop and grow your business in 2022 and in the next 5 to 10 years.

What stood out the most to me from this article is by 2030, the global revenue in the construction industry is expected to double. So, that is basically in 7 plus years. And in the US, the size of the market is expected to reach $14.4 trillion in revenue by 2030. This is twice the size of the market in 2020, which was $6.4 trillion in revenue.

2030 is right around the corner and the good news is you can use this data to position your contracting company to take advantage of this future growth opportunity.

Do you have the right technology that will scale to meet market demands? Are you training your future talent or have an apprenticeship program to address continued labor shortages? And don’t forget your building permits. Without processes in your preconstruction phase to pull the proper permits, you will be standing flat-footed in the game and growth may pass your company by.

To assist, below are 4 building permitting tips to position your company for growth this year and onto 2030.

• Stay abreast of the latest changes in building codes by attending industry association training
• Monitor on a regular basis your local jurisdiction’s web site on direction and timing of implementing new ordinances affecting building codes. Also track jurisdiction’s look ahead permit process related projects that are in planning phase.
• Be cautious of using and solely relying on AI driven tools to complete forms as this technology continues to improve. Also, missing or inputting incorrect information on a permit application will cause delays in permitting.
• Use building code and permitting experts for insights plus to partner with to save time and money

In Conclusion

The data shown in the State of Construction article indicates opportunities to grow your contracting business. Using this kind of data helps in minimizing risks associated with high material costs and supply chain issues, mitigating labor shortages plus planning related to obtaining building permits where resources like PermitUsNow are ready to assist. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you. So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams.#BuildSafe

I Submitted Incomplete Plans to the City by Mistake, Now What?

In the construction industry, it is a norm for many contractors to rush to and from picking up materials, signing up new customers and then juggling other tasks including obtaining building permits. The challenge with this scenario is that building permit is often an after-thought and the contractor may not dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s when submitting.

A question that we hear often from contractors is that I have submitted my plans to the City but some sheets were missing, what do I do now?

After this core question above, follows with a flurry of more questions such as:

• Will the city allow me to replace the incomplete set of plans?
• Do I wait until the City notices the missing sheets?
• Can I send the missing sheets or new set to the Plan Reviewer at the City?

The above are good questions and the answer is after submitting plans, most jurisdictions in the U.S. will not and very few jurisdictions (smaller ones) will allow to switch out plans once submitted.

The reality is once your permit application with plans, prerequisite documents, etc. are submitted into the jurisdictions’ electronic portal, they are heading straight into completeness check. Once in completeness check phase, the permit applications, plans, etc. are reviewed and if any items are missing, rejections will result from this phase.

Once a contractor receives rejections from the completeness check then the following are suggested steps to follow to address city comments.

1. Review city rejection comments one by one against the permit packaged that was originally submitted.
2. Review city rejection comments one by one against your permit package with the full plan set and note any areas that are deficient or noncompliant based on comments.
3. Make necessary revisions to plans to address city comments.
4. QA/QC full plan set to make sure all comments addressed
5. Resubmit to the city the full plan set with any other required documents, if noted missing or deficient in city comments.

Also, it is prudent to contact the City if you have any questions on city comments. This helps to save time, money plus mitigate any additional rejection comments as plans proceed into full plan review.

In Conclusion

Obtaining building permits is a stressful task for many contractors as they simply want to focus of doing what they do best and that’s construction. When contractors find themselves in a confused state with permitting then more errors, further delays and higher costs can occur. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you. So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe

General Contractors – When is the Absolute Best Time to Pull Your Main Building Permit?

When is the absolute best time to pull a building permit? Yes, before the City Inspector shows up is a good answer. The best answer on when to pull your main building permit is before you start a construction. Often new contractors are so happy to have a project and future work ahead, they get carried away with excitement and begin construction without having the proper permits.

From residential to commercial contractors, the PermitUsNow team have received multiple calls recently after the Contractor has found themselves in the throws of construction. Here are snippets from a couple of calls to our 1.844.Permit.4 toll-free line.

Hi, I’m a Contractor working on a residential garage project. I have already demolished one side of the garage requiring repair and wondering if I need a permit to replace this structural wall. Also, do I need a permit to replace the windows on left side of house near garage?

I am a GC and I have ripped out a homeowners ceiling that collapsed from a leaking roof and the owners are wanting their den wall moved so they can have more room for their growing family. What type of permit is required?

After being in the permitting business for years, I along with my team members have listened to hundreds of stories about Contractors starting work without having a building permit and later realize the hard way the cost of overlooking a key requirement for doing work. The bottom-line is that it is the Contractors responsibility to make sure that proper permits are pulled before starting construction. To begin work without the right permits places the Contractor at risk and inflicts an unwarranted liability on the project owner.

To assist Contractors in starting construction work in compliance with local jurisdiction guidelines and ordinances below are 6 tips to pull a permit prior to any work commencing.

• Ask for Help Upfront: If the reason for not pulling a building permit is because you are unsure of the process or intimidated or confused or a host of other reasons, then consider contacting a recognized Permit Expediter or reach out to schedule a pre meeting with a Plan Reviewer at the permitting jurisdiction.
• Check Jurisdiction’s Web Site: Many of the jurisdictions have good information, including checklists, available to assist in determining the right permit to pull based on your scope of work.
• Prepare Permit Package: Complete permit application in full. While some small projects may not require a set of plans, the jurisdiction will require a description of the scope of work including size and construction cost.
• Respond to City Comments and RFI’s
• Pull Sales Order: Pay for building permit and obtain approved stamped plans, depending on if plan review required plans.
• Post Permit on Job Site: This assures project owner and shows City Inspector of compliance.

In Conclusion

It is great to be excited about having project work, but make sure to be comply with building codes and ordinances before starting construction. At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you. So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe

4 Pillars to Pull a Permit Fast for P3 Projects

More cities and counties in the US are exploring P3’s (Public -Private Partnerships) as an economically creative way to build infrastructure and buildings which allow them to meet demands of their growing communities. Several years ago, public entities were hesitant to leverage P3’s, especially when hearing about projects that did not go so well like one of Texas toll roads.

A lot has been learned since early project failures, and today is a new day where public officials are more open-minded to consider P3’s. Public-private projects are focused on what it takes to quickly make accessible new buildings and infrastructure for public use. They are also more clearly designed and structured to provide government (city, county, state, etc.) with several benefits such as the following:

• Able to bring on projects faster than traditional government capital improvement procurement processes
• Lowers liabilities and risks on capital projects
• Provides an alternate source of funding

When I recently attended an Infraday Conference in Houston, Texas, one of the panels talked about P3 projects that were primarily in located Texas and shared examples of projects in Indiana. Aside from mentioning the technical aspects of certain capital projects like in San Marcus and Travis County, Texas, they also stressed the importance of de-risking a P3 project to ensure its success.

One particular area noted to reduce risk i.e. minimize delays and associated costs to construction on P3 projects is with permitting. When P3 projects get caught in the snares of planning and zoning with variances and permitting for plan reviews, then Private Developers’ ability to deliver promised benefits to their public customers become strained.

To mitigate this above scenario, below are 4 proven pillars to de-risk permitting on a P3 project.

• Start early during programming phase to identify any areas of concern, possible variances, permitting center workloads, etc.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders on project requirements
• Execute plans with a sense of urgency to minimize impact of changes in market conditions such as increase in material costs
• Hire permitting experts that have established relationships and experience with jurisdiction

In Conclusion

Public-Private Partnerships is a strong delivery method for public entities to consider and use. Many cities in Texas are fertile ground to P3 developers to assist local governments in achieving their vision and assisting with established strategic plans. Permitting is one of the key areas that must be de-risked for success; and PermitUsNow has experience permitting large and complex capital projects in Texas. Also, at PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you.

So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe

Contractors: 4 Ways to Up Your Game in Using Electronic Permitting Portals

In 2020, thousands of Contractors across the U.S. were thrown into a tizzy when they were turned away from walking into a permitting center to manually submit plans to being instructed to apply for a permit online. Frustrations ran high for Contractors, especially when it took more time to review plans for simple projects that were typically permitted in a few hours or in one day using hard copies of plans.

While some large jurisdictions continue to have hiccups including outages with their online portals, the fact is that jurisdictions with electronic portals will not be going back to manual submissions; and more jurisdictions are coming aboard to improve internal processes that provides many benefits such as allowing staff to work remote when there is a need, i.e. inclement weather, pandemic, etc., to do so.

As an example, when talking with a Planning Supervisor recently on permitting a project in Michigan, the Supervisor mentioned that their workload had significantly increased in 2021 and to help manage workload they had approved a budget to install a technology solution replacing their manual submissions. This was truly great news to hear because this would provide huge cost savings in the future for clients submitting plans electronically versus printing and having couriered 4 hard copies of plan sets.

2022 offers Contractors the opportunity to grow their business in many markets, especially when they are able to obtain building permits in a timely manner. As more and more jurisdictions are adopting a technology platform for submitting plans, below are 4 ways that Contractors can up their game in using electronic portals.

• QA/QC Permit Package: Check your permit package thoroughly before submitting through the online portal. If there are deficiencies with package, missing prerequisite documents, incorrect building codes and so on, after you hit the submit button, you will be unable to pull back those plans on most platforms which will subsequently result in rejection comments for missing items. So, take the time to review checklist, permit application, plans, etc. prior to submitting online.
• Upload Files Properly: After making sure your permit package is complete and ready to submit, follow the instructions to ensure submitting plans in the correct folders. To improperly upload files will generate rejection comments as the Plan Reviewers would be expecting, for example, the mechanical sheets to be in the mechanical folder, and so on.
• Meet with Plan Reviewer: This step alone can save you time and money and encourage Contractors to reach out to jurisdiction Plan Reviewers to ask for clarification with a building code and if your approach will satisfy code.
• Ask the Experts: Today’s platforms for submitting online for a permit is confusing and time consuming for many Contractors. Consider focusing on what you like to do best – building – and contacting building permitting and code experts to handle your permits.

In Conclusion

Online permitting portals are here to stay with more jurisdictions converting from paper to electronic submissions. While some jurisdictions are still working out the bugs, have created delays in plan reviews for one-stop projects, experienced downtime, generated a slew of new type of rejection comments and have stressed out Contractors, know that you can rise to the occasion when using permitting experts like PermitUsNow.

At PermitUsNow, we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: 1) Email us your plans, 2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items, and 3) Let us get your permitting done for you.

So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildCustomersDreams #BuildSafe

5 Steps to Overcome Rejections to Conquer the Mountain in Permitting

Do you remember the book titled “The Little Engine that Could”? It’s an American classic that was written during the 1930’s. The main message of this book was to bolster the reader’s confidence and let the reader know that if they put their mind, heart and soul into a mission then tackling a surmountable challenge is possible.

“I think…I think..I can. I think I can” said the little blue engine while summoning every ounce of strength to push up the mountain.

What we do not see or know in the story is who helped the little engine along the way as he was chugging up the mountain. Who were the coaches and guides like Yoda in the Star Wars movie that were a catalyst to the little engine’s success?

Like the little engine, many contractors that are facing the permitting mountain for the first time stand scared thinking and wishing for a permit in a timely manner. They put together the permit package, check permit application as best as they can and then submit to the jurisdiction hoping for the best. After weeks go by, the contractor sees a slew of rejection comments. Their heart sinks and gung-ho spirit becomes deflated as they begin to grapple with next steps to avoid being late in starting construction.

So, what are some helpful ways to meet the permitting mountain head on? See below 5 steps to overcome rejections and to conquer the mountain in Permitting.

• Pull rejection comments and separate comments into an easier to read format for yourself so can decipher information being relayed.
• Check jurisdiction’s permitting website for relevant information associated with comments
• Call or email Plan Reviewers at jurisdiction to schedule a meeting to walk through rejection comments one by one.
• Contact a Building Permitting Expert that have experience in helping to address Permitting comments and proven in obtaining permits with your type of project scope.
• Develop an action plan that supports your project’s timeline to minimize delays in starting construction.

In addition to the above suggestions, make sure to address each rejection comment. To ignore responding to a comment will only generate another rejection or more as the Plan Reviewer has no idea to what’s going on since comment was not addressed. If you feel that a particular rejection comment is not applicable, then respond by referring Plan Reviewer(s) to scope of work or to a specific sheet in plan set that answers comment.

In Conclusion

There are billions of dollars of construction work bustling in many markets in the U.S. and across North America. This business scenario pulls in new contractors that are unfamiliar with the permitting process. If this is you, know that you can be successful in responding to rejection comments and winning the day, especially when realizing when you have bitten off more than you can chew and engage permitting experts like PermitUsNow where we are committed to pulling permits for our Architect, Contractor, and Project Owner clients without delay, eliminating their frustrations with the permitting process. Plus, we make it easy for you to work with us. Simply: (1) Email us your plans, (2) Follow up on our feedback for any missing items and (3) Let us get your permitting done for you.

So, send us your plans today and we’ll free you up to focus on doing what you love – building your customers’ dreams. #BuildSafe