When the most gifted artist ever – Kanye West – is denied a building permit in Wyoming, do you toss up your hands and say, “if it happens to Kanye, how can I get my permit”. Or do you shake your head from side-to-side and give up? Or do you complain that jurisdictions are getting tougher than all get out and pulling building permits are too difficult?

We know that from Austin to Miami to New York City and to small towns in Wyoming, permitting has it challenges. And while building codes, design standards, and zoning requirements change, know that as a General Contractor, Architect or Project Owner, you can be successful in obtaining your permits in a timely manner.

The 7 simple tips below serve as a rule of thumb to assist you in obtaining your building permits.

• Have a clear scope of work – Submitting to the jurisdictions with plans that lack details and ambiguity in work to be performed will raise a red flag to Plan Reviewers and cause a delay in permitting.
• Become familiar with jurisdictions building codes, zoning ordinances and permitting processes in advance to mitigate possible reasons for rejections and delays in permitting.
• Follow jurisdiction’s permitting checklist that indicate documents that are required based on your project scope; and if have a question, call, email or schedule a meeting with the jurisdiction’s Plan Reviewer. This step alone will save you time and eliminate headaches.

• Track and monitor progress of your plans through the jurisdiction’s review process and be ready to provide clarifications and to respond any rejection comments issued by Plan Reviewers.
• Perform quality check on permitting package before submitting to jurisdiction online or in person. Make sure all prerequisite documents are in package, and plans are signed and sealed when needed.
• Avoid making assumptions and guessing about the jurisdiction’s permitting process or building codes, etc. Pick up the phone and call for assistance with Plan Reviewer or with Permitting Expert, visit jurisdiction’s web site or schedule a meeting with Plan Reviewer to gather key information on your area of concern in complying with codes.

In Conclusion

Pulling a building permit in a timely manner is important for the success of your project whether the construction market in your area is hot, lukewarm or cold. Following the basics during preconstruction phase is always a proven strategy to achieve your goals and this includes the 7 simple tips listed above to assist you in getting your construction permit. If you have any specific questions, have a tough permitting issue, or have a great tip to share from your permitting experience, please let me know. You can reach me direct at 844.PERMIT.4.
#BuildSafe.