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