Prior to the spring of 2020, in many towns and cities across the US, the business of building permits was mostly conducted in person. Contractors and homeowners looking to begin work first had to visit their local building department and submit an application and any accompanying plans necessary for approval. Plans, forms, and other documents were then reviewed for completion, adherence to building codes, appropriate zoning requirements, etc. before a permit was issued that allowed work to begin.
Regardless of the building project, the permit process began with someone walking into a building, taking a ticket or waiting in line, and handing over their documentation. Many building departments also allowed submittals by mail, though that process often took additional time, especially if additional documents needed to be submitted for a permit to be approved.
Some major cities, like Chicago, IL, and Cleveland, OH, had begun to implement systems that allowed for the online submission of projects using software like Accela or ProjectDox as their main routing system. However, the effects of these online systems were slow to trickle down to the building departments of smaller cities, counties, and townships, where printed plans and forms still reigned supreme. And unfortunately, online submittals could be perilous – in some systems, a single misplaced keystroke could cause an automated system to reject a permit, and getting stuck halfway through an application often meant having to start over from the beginning.
Despite the time spent waiting in line, visiting a building department in person was often more efficient than either mail or online submittals, and many building departments even encouraged permit submittals to be conducted in person. Some offices took walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis, while others required an appointment. Many building departments would allow you to sit with a plan reviewer, giving you the chance to ask questions, make corrections on the plans, and ensure your project adhered to building codes, all in one visit. With that review time up front, and the chance to interact with a knowledgeable reviewer in person, you were typically able to obtain a permit within a shorter period of time – in some cases, the review time could be cut in half.
Permits for small residential projects or light commercial work, like replacing a door or window, could even be approved in a single visit, in what some departments would call “Over the Counter” or “OVC” permits. However, in Columbus, OH, for example, it was unlikely to receive an over the counter permit for projects like new construction or residential or commercial additions, though the State of Ohio required that plans be reviewed within 30 days of submitting an application. Many states, cities, and townships followed a similar review process, depending on the nature of the work, and the process could take several months if substantive corrections were needed. Regardless of the project, submitting a permit application in person could significantly decrease the time needed for the review process, especially compared to sending in forms by mail or attempting to submit an application online.
The in-person permitting process did have its drawbacks as well. The sheer volume of permits submitted to some offices could lead to processing backlogs, misplaced paperwork, long lines, and more. And an incorrect form, insufficient copies, or a missing signature could mean having to come back another day to complete the application process. Permit management could be a time-consuming, expensive, confusing nightmare, regardless of the submittal method.
That’s where Express Permits comes in, with permit management and expediting services to help contractors, builders, homeowners, and remodelers across the country navigate the building permit process more quickly, cheaply, and simply. But the world was about to change, and despite our many years of experience in the permit services field, we even had to find new ways to serve our customers when in-person was abruptly no longer an option.
Read on to find out how Express Permits faced the challenges to come. And as always, if you have any questions about the permitting process, or you are seeking a permit processing company to serve as a partner on your projects, contact us today!
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