Trials and Tribulations of Obtaining a Building Permit (Part II of II)

(Continued from previous Blog Post…)

…The next day, I drove down to the Building Department hoping that I would be allowed to completely submit for my permit.  I checked in with the receptionist, like I had done the previous day and waited my turn in line.  Unfortunately, I was called by a different permit specialist to go over my submission.  Due to her being unfamiliar with my project and the issues that we had the previously day,  we had to go back through each of the items that were on the Permit Checklist.   I handed her the NOA Letters, which she happily accepted along with the rest of the paperwork.  I breathed a sigh of relief when she told me that everything looked good and that I should hear back from the Building Department after the Plan Review Department reviewed the drawings and the rest of the documents. 

After a week had gone by, I checked in with the Building Department to find out the status of the project.  I was told that the project had not yet been approved and still needed to be reviewed by two other departments.  After another week of not hearing from the Building Department, I decided to follow up again.  This time the person I talked to, told me that the permit had been reviewed with several comments and that I should have been notified.  I told her that we were never contacted and that we had not been left a message (of course the Building Department is infallible).  She copped an attitude and told me that I still needed to address the comments and resubmit my drawings.  That day I drove down to the Building Department and obtained the list of comments that needed to be corrected.  As I reviewed them, I was somewhat relieved when I noticed that the two of them were very minor items that needed to be addressed and corrected.  On my way back to the Office, I drove by my Architect’s Office and went over the items with her.  She told me that she would immediately correct the two items and will send the plans out to get reprinted.  As I left, I told her jokingly that I would be back by the next day to pick them up from her.  I was pleasantly surprised when she told me that she would have them for me.  I waited the next day for the phone call from my Architect and then it happened around 3pm.  Knowing that the Building Department closed at 4:30pm and it was a thirty minute drive, I quickly picked up the plans, thanked my Architect and drove to the Building Department. 

I hit a lot of traffic, on my way and when I finally got the to the Building Department it was close to 4pm.  I signed in and like the previous visits, I sat and waited for my name to be called.  At about a quarter after 4pm, my name was called and luckily it was the same permit specialist that I had from the previous visit who was familiar with my project.  She checked in the Architectural Drawings and told me that I should hear back in several days in regards to the two corrections.  I thanked her for her help and headed back to my truck.  As I got to my truck, I noticed that I had a yellow envelope on my windshield.  Under my breath, I muttered a four letter word as I new it was a parking ticket.  In my rush to get into the Building Department before they closed, I forgot to put change in the parking meter. 

Sure enough, a few days later my permit was approved and this time, we did receive the phone call!  I made another trip back to the Building Department to obtain all my paperwork and the permit.  Unfortunately, I had to check in and wait for my name to be called to get it. After securing the permit I drove back to the office making phone calls letting our subs know that we are starting the project.

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Trials and Tribulations of Obtaining a Building Permit (Part I of II)

I am often asked by my Clients what it is like to obtain a permit and how much of a hassle it can be.  I have written the following Blog post to give them and you the reader some insight as to what it is like to submit for a Building Permit from your local Building Department.  Please note that every Building Department can have slightly different criteria that needs to be submitted and this paperwork can vary significantly from state to state.  Unfortunately, it is this reason that procuring a permit can be a hassle for any Professional.  This specific experience of obtaining a Building Permit is in the state of Florida and I always recommend downloading the Permit Checklist off of the local Building Department’s website.

The final signed and sealed Architectural drawings were dropped off at the office.  In order to be efficient in getting the project under way for my Client, I dropped everything I was working on and grabbed my project folder.  I briefly went over the Building Department submit checklist that I had downloaded on-line to ensure that I had all my paperwork together and in order. 

As I drove to the Building Department, I noticed that I was biting my finger nails which is silly because I have submitted for permits so many times that I can’t remember how many.  I consider myself to be an accomplished permit expediter, but I do know that it is possible that I could be missing an item, a signature, or that the Building Department may require some additional paperwork.  As I parked my truck and got out, I pulled myself together with an air of confidence. 

As I walked up to the front desk, I was asked if I could be helped by the receptionist and I politely told her that I was submitting for a residential permit.  She, unsure of my name but knowing that I looked familiar asked for it and told me to take a seat in the waiting area with everyone else.  As I waited for my name to be called, I went over the checklist and my paperwork one last time.  After about 20 minutes, my name was called.  One of the Permit Specialists invited me to sit down at her desk and she asked me what type of permit that I was submitting for.  I handed her the completed permit application along with the Building Department Permit Checklist.  She entered the information off of the Permit Application into the computer and I gave her a brief description of the project.  We then started to compare the rest of my paperwork to the Permit Checklist and I handed her the signed and sealed copies of the Architectural Drawings.  I then gave her the copy of the Recorded Notice of Commencement that I had previously recorded at the courthouse.  As a result of us making some changes to the existing Mechanical System, I proceeded to give her the copies of the Mechanical Load Calculations and Energy Calculations.  Since we are installing new windows and doors with the project, she asked for the copies of the installation sheets that I downloaded back at the office off of the manufacturer’s website.  Due to us changing the footprint of the existing home, she grabbed the copies of the Owner’s Property Survey.  Anticipating what was next, I gave her my copies of the Florida Product Approval Codes.  As she looked over this form I noticed her facial expression was turning into a frown.  As I saw this facial change, my heart sank, due to me knowing that the trip to the Building Department could ultimately have been wasted.  Then she sighed and told me that I needed the NOA (Notice of Acceptance) Letters for the products rather than the Florida Product Approval Codes.  I started to get defensive and upset, I quickly reverted back to the Permit Checklist and told her that it does not specify that I needed these letters to comply with what was posted on the Building Departments website.  She agreed with me, that it was not on the Checklist but that I would still need to submit them.  With a little bit of an attitude, I pleaded with her, however, I quickly remembered to stay polite knowing that she is one of the gate keepers to get my permit issued.  When I saw that she would not budge on the issue, I asked her if all the rest of my paperwork was accurate.  She claimed that it was, I thanked her and promptly left.

(To Be Continued…)

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