# Permit process time



## Keystone (Jul 10, 2013)

Portland stuck in its own permitting quagmire | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Portland stuck in its own permitting quagmire

Efforts to speed Portland's process, including studies, have little effect, with approvals taking up to 148 days and complaints rolling in.

So, what is the average turnaround from your office?


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## cda (Jul 10, 2013)

We do not build much

Two weeks at most, quicker if the plans are good


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## cda (Jul 10, 2013)

The report says Portland may be understaffed, but that assessment cannot be made until streamlining measures are taken.

Does not say how many reviewers there are or how many plans they got the last few years

n Inconsistency in the fire department's reviews, which at times are "strict and arbitrary."

As in applying the code??


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## tmurray (Jul 10, 2013)

Our turn around time is a week on most projects. Larger projects can take a couple more weeks depending on size. We handle between 300-400 a year (everything from decks to schools) between two people.


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## fatboy (Jul 10, 2013)

Our goal is 10 working days for remodels, 20 days for new construction. Most of the time it's other departments that hold up the issuance of the permit. We hit that goal in almost 100% of the time, half the projected time in about 60-70% of the time.


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## Jobsaver (Jul 10, 2013)

One week if we like you. A month if we don't. (just kidd'in). 10 day on commercial. 3-4 day on residential.


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## steveray (Jul 10, 2013)

We have a state statute to approve or deny in 30 days.....we are consistantly very close to that these days for anything with significant review or bad plans....


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## mtlogcabin (Jul 10, 2013)

SFR 5 to 10 days Commercial average 30 days. Most of the time we are waiting for PW approvals before we can issue a permit


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## ewenme (Jul 10, 2013)

We have a pre-submittal process where we bring all relevant departments to the table with the owner, contractor, design professional, and the initial plan. We critique the idea and the red flags are thrown out. No huge investment in plans has been made, and the design professionals love this process: they go away with a better idea of how to finish the plans, and there are no surprises at plan review. We do electronic plan reviews, so no paper plans are submitted for review. After the review [usually we allow 10 working days for the review], we request two sets of plans for stamping [after all corrections are made], and everyone is happy. Except in those cases where there are complete changes to the initial submittal [apartments change into townhouses, then back to apartments, then to something else] this process is smooth and seamless. Coordination among all departments is essential, and we're proud of our customer service. The contractors especially like the ability to get their permit and go to work in short order. We've had comments from large commercial 'owners' that we are unique in the permitting world. I like that!


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## cboboggs (Jul 10, 2013)

We try to get residential issued in 3-4 days. Commercial, depending on the complexity of the project and quality of plans, I try to get out in 7 days.


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## Keystone (Jul 10, 2013)

Our office avg is 5-7 days for residential and 5-10 for commercial. The inspectors are also plan reviewers in our office.

Pennsylvania has statute, 15 days for residential unless stamped by design professional then 5 days max, commercial 30 days.


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## MtnArch (Jul 10, 2013)

A single-family residence I drew in a neighboring county was submitted for plan check in late May ... we're still waiting on whether they've completed the plan check yet.


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## jar546 (Jul 10, 2013)

Keystone said:
			
		

> Our office avg is 5-7 days for residential and 5-10 for commercial. The inspectors are also plan reviewers in our office. Pennsylvania has statute, 15 days for residential unless stamped by design professional then 5 days max, commercial 30 days.


Well, yes and no concerning the RDP.  If they don't specify on the application that the drawings and specs are compliant with the UCC and local ordinance, they don't fall into that 5 day category.  Example:  Prints from the internet that don't have the language in bold gives us the 15 days we need.  Been there, done that.  There is always more the the laws.



> Every application for a construction permit for one-family and two-family dwelling units and utility and miscellaneous use structures shall be granted or denied, in whole or in part, within 15 business days of the filing date or, if the drawings have been prepared by design professionals who are licensed or registered under the laws and regulations of this commonwealth and *the application contains a certification by the licensed or registered design professional that the plans meet the applicable standards of the Uniform Construction Code and ordinance as appropriate*, within five business days of the filing date.


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## jar546 (Jul 10, 2013)

MtnArch said:
			
		

> A single-family residence I drew in a neighboring county was submitted for plan check in late May ... we're still waiting on whether they've completed the plan check yet.


That's just horrible but I love to point things like this out when we get phone calls the day after plans were dropped off asking for a status update on the review.


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## rogerpa (Jul 11, 2013)

Michigan law:

*STILLE-DEROSSETT-HALE SINGLE STATE CONSTRUCTION CODE ACT (EXCERPT)*

*Act 230 of 1972*

*125.1511  Building permit; examination and approval of application; issuance;  changes in plans; commencement of construction; compliance with  application; suspension, revocation, or cancellation.*

 Sec. 11.

 (1)    The enforcing agency shall examine an application for a  building permit. If the application conforms to this act, the code and  the requirements of other applicable laws and ordinances, the enforcing  agency shall approve the application and issue a building permit to the  applicant.* An application shall be granted, in whole or in part, or  denied within **10**  business days, except that in case of an unusually complicated building  or structure, action shall be taken within 15 business days.** Failure by  an enforcing agency to grant, in whole or in part, or deny an  application within these periods of time shall be deemed a denial of the  application for purposes of authorizing the institution of an appeal to  the appropriate board of appeals. The enforcing agency shall approve  changes in plans and specifications previously approved by it, if the  changes require approval and if the plans and specifications when so  changed remain in conformity with law. Except as otherwise provided in  this act or the code, the construction or alteration of a building or  structure shall not be commenced until a building permit has been  issued. The construction of a building or structure shall comply with  the approved application for a building permit, and the enforcing agency  shall insure such compliance in the manner provided in section 12 and  in any other way it deems appropriate. *Emphasis added.


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## fatboy (Jul 11, 2013)

"Failure by  an enforcing agency to grant, in whole or in part, or deny  an  application _*within these periods of time shall be deemed a denial of  the  application*_ for purposes of authorizing the institution of an  appeal to  the appropriate board of appeals. The enforcing agency shall  approve  changes in plans and specifications previously approved by it,  if the  changes require approval and if the plans and specifications  when so  changed remain in conformity with law"

So, by not approving it, they deny it?


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## Keystone (Jul 11, 2013)

jar546 - I was blanketing the statement but you do bring a valid point, I can't tell you how many plans we get and the RDP is calling on the 3rd day and the sound of silence once they are informed of the caveat.


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## TheCommish (Jul 11, 2013)

We have 30 days to approve or deny in writing, well tell everyone if they plan on 2 weeks from the complete submittal they won't be disappointed. A complete submittal is all the plans, signatures from other department, recording at the registry of deeds if necessary are done.

That is the mantra for all building permits pools, roofing, siding residential construction. Bigger commercial project take more time.

About one a week I review all the permits, if they are incomplete I review them and comment on what is there, if it is really bad it gets rejected. After the review the customer is notified by phone or e-mail of the deficiencies or when the permit is ready to pick up.  If there are deficiencies it go in the pending pile and the next time I doo reviews it get look at again.

My office, has myself, the Commissioner; as the plan reviewer, inspector and  answer man 40 hours a week, with an administrative assistant 40 hours a week who answer the phone and a lot of basic questions, does the all the intake and dispersal of  paper work, including electrical, plumbing and gas permits who she issues  almost immediately.

We currently we are dong 450 building permits a year with 800 electrical, plumbing and gas permits.

“The quality of m your submittal is directly proportional to my confidence in the code compliance of your project”


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## rnapier (Jul 11, 2013)

Here state law requires the review process including permit if aproved to be completed in 20 buisness days, rereview 7 days and proto types 3 days. I just left an office that did 2500 to 3500 permits a year and if everything was ok we could get it out in 3 to 7 days.


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## fatboy (Jul 11, 2013)

*Performance Measure*

*Target*

*2007*

*2008*

*2009*

*2010*

*2011*

*YTD  DEC31 2011*

*YTD  DEC31 2012*



Complete building plan reviews for 95% of all plans within:


10 business days of submittal for remodels

20 business days of submittal for new construction

Number of remodel building permit plan reviews

831*

390*

345*

327*

441*

400

419

Percent completed within 5 business days for remodel permits

50%

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

72%

73%

Percent completed within 10 business days for remodel permits

95%

92%

95%

99%

99%

98%

95%

95%

Number of new building permit plan reviews

67

79

Percent completed within 10 business days for new construction

25%

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

88%

89%

Percent completed within 20 business days for new construction

95%

98%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Footnotes:

*This number previously included both remodel and new construction plan review.


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## MtnArch (Jul 11, 2013)

jar546 said:
			
		

> That's just horrible but I love to point things like this out when we get phone calls the day after plans were dropped off asking for a status update on the review.


I do want to point out that this jurisdiction is not unreasonable in their plan checking comments (unless, as pointed out by others, someone submits an incomplete set of plans) - they have been cut to the bone (and deeply into the bone, too) in terms of losing personnel because of the economy and really are working had to do their job of checking for code compliance.  I'd like to hope that when they see a set of my drawings come in that they know that I've done my best to be complete, and that they can concentrate on the really important parts and not worry about the easy stuff that should be on the drawings anyway.


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