# Closing out permits



## Pcinspector1 (Apr 8, 2021)

My software allows me 4 options: 

1) Suspend a project
2) Void a project
3) Complete a project
4) Reject a project

Beyond that I ask the question "What do you do with a permit that you can't close out?" Permits that are over 180-days and no request to extend. 
Legally can you close them out? 
Can you adopt an ordinance that allows the inspector to close out as incomplete after a certain amount of time? Like 2 years?

Your thoughts on the issue


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## Inspector Gift (Apr 8, 2021)

We usually contact the permit holder.  After 1 year we close the permit.  After that a new permit is required to continue and/or final the permit.


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## e hilton (Apr 8, 2021)

Can you suspend it?  Seems like that would be the purpose of that option.


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## Pcinspector1 (Apr 8, 2021)

e, hilton

I think suspending keeps it in the limbo file kind of like a ball game being suspended. Can't close and file the permits.


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## Mark K (Apr 8, 2021)

So you allow your software to define your policy?


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## ICE (Apr 8, 2021)

We expire a permit.  If there is an application for a permit for some other project, the expired permit is supposed to be dealt with before a new permit can be issued.  That does not apply to solar or a situation where the dwelling would be uninhabitable.  For example the elec. panel fails and they have no electricity, the roofing is shot and leaks, the water pipes are failing and need to be replaced, the furnace quits working....and just about anything else that you can think of .....


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## fatboy (Apr 8, 2021)

You need to get a hold of your software provider and get them to add "Expired" as a method to close a permit.


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## tmurray (Apr 9, 2021)

Our software will allow permits to be archived once all the steps have been completed. In your situation, there is a "force archive" option where we can archive it regardless of the step it is on. This is what we use where a project is abandoned.


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## Sifu (Apr 9, 2021)

We expire them.  But in our never-ending quest to please everyone, they can be reinstated in perpetuity.  Have seen decade plus old expired permits be reinstated.


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## Pcinspector1 (Apr 12, 2021)

When I started the previous inspector had less than10 permits in the file and most were expired, not completed and left in the file drawer. There must have been a clean sweep of old outstanding permits here.

To answer Mark K, the software was existing software and I can contact them to see about adding another choice like,  5) Expired.

Thanks for your helpful comments,


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## fatboy (Apr 13, 2021)

A month ago, we had a request to open and inspect, then close a 1994 basement permit. Had them pay the currentt permit fee to open, inspected to the codes in effect at that time, closed it.


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## rktect 1 (Apr 13, 2021)

We contact the owner, ask for the update, see if they need an extension.  Sometimes they just do not want to comply.  Problem children.  We are working on bringing in new software right now that alerts us to permit expiration dates at 180 days, etc etc. so we can react much faster than finding them two years too late.  But right now, we will close out a permit with a letter stating owner refuses to comply or have final inspections blah blah blah.  I have always pushed for adjudication but there was no back bone from the higher ups around here.  That seems to be changing a little bit.


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