The building permit application process in 2023 and on

The State of the Building Permit Application Process in 2023 and Beyond

This post is part of a three-part series on the impact of COVID-19 on the building permit application process. Part one discusses the limits and risks of online submittals prior to the pandemic. Part two delves into the transition period during the shutdown.

In our last two posts, we discussed the heyday of in-person building permit services and how the pandemic forced a shift to digital submittals. So what does the permitting process look like today?

As building departments began to reopen, many were still left with an overwhelming backlog of reviews. Understaffing also became a problem, with many employees lost to unemployment and termination, accompanied by a loss of institutional knowledge. Some building departments chose to return to the “old way” of doing business, with in-person appointments and physical paperwork. Others saw the value of technology for documentation, tracking meeting attendance, and more, and chose to fully embrace the online submittal process. And many more successfully blended in-person/mail-in and virtual services, capitalizing on the efficiency of in-person appointments and the flexibility of electronic applications.

Despite the frequency of requests from applications seeking an alternative to in-person services, many building departments that successfully transitioned to virtual permitting services do still conduct business over the counter. But these over-the-counter permits, which are often submitted, reviewed, and approved in a single visit, are usually only offered for simple projects or repairs. Projects like new construction often require a much more complicated submittal and review process, which more and more often must be conducted online.


While there are decided advantages to digital permitting services, including reducing carbon emissions and expenses for paper and shipping, online submittals have their disadvantages as well. The greatest of these is often the cost of programs like Accela or ProjectDox, which can be prohibitively expensive for smaller jurisdictions. However, in some cases, jurisdictions can combine their resources to share the intake portion of the electronic submittal process, often substantially lowering the cost for each individual jurisdiction.

MyBuildingPermit, for example, brings together jurisdictions in the Puget Sound area of Washington to collaborate and pool their resources to promote code consistency, information sharing, and helping citizens, builders, and developers navigate the permitting process. Another example from the southern US is MyGovernmentOnline, which partnered with jurisdictions in many states to create a suite of low-cost software applications that could accommodate the many different, and often changing, business practices of their jurisdictions. Though these agencies and others like them have been around for a while, many building departments are increasingly seeing the value of partnering with other jurisdictions to help share and minimize the cost of online permit software applications.

Many of these platforms are still in their infancy, and even the best systems can sometimes be clunky and difficult to use. The actual process of uploading plans to a digital platform often consumes even more time than applying in person or sending documents via mail. Additionally, each individual jurisdiction often has a different digital platform, and these systems can be confusing and tedious to learn for newcomers and experienced contractors alike. And last but not least, online-only services make the process for applicants who don’t have easy access to a computer or a reliable internet connection.


Luckily, private companies or contractors that do not have the time or staffing to learn, understand, and successfully navigate the submittal process can greatly benefit from a permit expediting service like Express Permits. Our experience with permitting systems and city planning departments across the United States makes us perfectly suited to serve as your partner throughout the permit approval process. We can turn permits around more quickly, with less need for corrections or resubmissions. And in cities where in-person submittals are still required, our network of approved couriers ensures your documents get where they need to go as soon as possible.

Express Permits are the experts who know how to maneuver online applications for you, reducing your management and processing time and the hassle of navigating the permitting process. Contact the experts at Express Permits to save time and money and get the permits you need as efficiently as possible

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