The Permit Process
The process varies with each municipality or county, but they have many similarities. Often the first step is to simply schedule a meeting with a Building Department or Planning person who may be able to hand you a set of guidelines or design guides. Some of the cities even have the complete set of guidelines on their website.
Permit Analysis
Any project that involves electrical, plumbing, ductwork, framing, sheetrocking, relocation of walls, siding, or roofing will require a permit. The permit may be able to be obtained “over the counter” at the Building Department, or it may require complicated drawings submitted by qualified and licensed architects and engineers, and then waiting months for the permit process to work.
The procedure follows these stages:
- A permit application must be submitted.
- Existing property measurements and analysis must be performed.
- Drawings must be prepared.
- Engineering calculations must be performed.
- Submit an Application for a Plan Check and pay the fees.
- The drawings must be submitted to the Planning Department, Building Department, Fire Department, and Public Works Department.
- Work with the City to complete the design to their satisfaction. Answer all plan check comments and revise the submittal.
- Have a general contractor pull the permit.
- Hold regular inspections with the Building Department during the construction.
- Finalize the permit.
The permit process actually is done in two parts:
Planning Department: A permit application must be signed off by the Planning Department before proceeding to the Building Department. This can be done "over the counter" if the construction project is small and does not add any square footage to the existing structure. If the construction project involves anything that might affect the neighbors, the assessment of the property, the square footage, or the floor area ratio, then the permit application will be sent on to the Planning Commission. The first step is with a subcommittee, often called "The Architectural Site Review Board" that will meet with the applicant to determine the acceptability of the proposed project. If they approve or ask to modify the application, then they will approve going to the full Planning Commission
at which time there may be a Public Hearing. The Planning Commission process often takes between one and four months to complete, depending on the complexity of the project and the number of variances required to complete the project.
Building Department: The permit application is then prepared along with complete set of construction documents and submitted to the Building Department. This part of the process judges whether the permit application and proposed construction project complies with the Building Codes. The process often takes between between one and four months to complete, depending on the complexity of the project and the number of code compliance issues that arise.
Follow the tabs for more detailed information:
Department of Real Estate Process
Lot Subdivision