[miamicuse]

Is this the same everywhere?


So my city building services have closed it's doors since early March, and instead set up a banquet table outside the doors with dozens of file boxes for you to drop stuff off. Permit applications here, revised plans here, additional forms here, builder affidavits here....

Let’s say you want to submit a new permit that requires plan submission and officially notarized papers and can’t do it via online permits, you have to drop off hard copies.

These are the steps.

You go to the city’s building department to drop off your permit application in the appropriate box outside.

Let’s say you go to drop your plans on June 1 Monday. This box is untouched the entire week by staff, they wait till that Friday June 5 COB to take the box inside, that box will contain all submittals from June 1 to June 5.

Now this box once put inside, is left in a staging area for at least a week, because staff thinks it needs to wait a few days for the virus to die off. So they wait at least ONE WEEK.

The first time anyone would touch that box is June 15. If it’s a plan reviewer working at the office, they will look at these plans, by that time it’s 15 days from when you drop it off. Now if it’s a plan reviewer working at home, that person will need to come in on the week of June 15, to pick up that box to sort through and bring the relevant plans home to review.

Can you imagine how long it will take, if your plans and permits have to be through multiple departments like zoning, structures, electrical if some or all of those reviewers are working out of their respective homes?


Have your permit processing been slow since the pandemic?


Is your city doing something similar?

 

[dj3]

You live in FLL?
- It's one of the fastest cities right now.
FYI: This virus was forced on us and on around 180 other countries. Your building dept employees are just trying to reduce their chance to get sick.

 

[mark sr]

Our local bldg dept has suspended inspections for anything that includes going into an occupied residence, no word on whether or not they will extend the permit time limit.

 

[miamicuse]

Yes the pandemic has caused major disruptions on everything.


The only thing is there seems to be nothing in place that is consistent from jurisdiction from jurisdiction as they seem to be just making changes on the fly individually without any kind of coordination (just like anyone else is).


I know this is a dynamic situation and everyone is learning as we go, kind of like initially we were told no mask needed just social distance 6 feet, then we learned that there are those without symptoms then they recommended masks, then now we are hearing social distance may be increased to 18' because the droplets may linger in the air a lot longer then they previous determined. So every day there is new news.


Permitting is basically totally unpredictable right now.


But the reality is I think they should expect folks to do more unpermitted work as a result. I know right now with working at home or reduced hours or being furlonged, many people are staying home and finding extra time to do home repairs that's been deferred. But now they have time to do it, yet the permit process makes it impossible to do it at a reasonable schedule so they say, forget it...I'll just do it without s permit.


I also think the not handling paper until they sit untouched for a week, while I understand it's for safety, is this a sustainable practice? If the paper has to change hands four times, then it's four weeks.


If you apply this thinking to banking, that means if I walk int or a bank and deposit cash or a check, they would set my cash or check aside and let it sit a week before crediting my account. If you apply this to the post office, if I drop off letters or parcels they would be set aside for a week before being sent, or new mail coming into the local post office from the hub to be delivered will also be set aside for a week before loading them onto the mail vehicle for delivery. If they did that the entire country will stop.


I don't know what the answer is. I know I am way overdue for a dental cleaning and I still am unsure whether I am going.

 

[stadry]

generally speaking, there's no incentive for ANY govt employee to move faster than molasses in january,,, throw in ANY health concern & its a 'raise the pot' bet things will be even slower,,, they don't have target dates, its not their $, & they don't make any more $ by doing their jobs faster

 

[u2slow]

During these times especially... rather skip the permit process and git-r-done. :devil3:

 

[rdy2go]

generally speaking, there's no incentive for ANY govt employee to move faster than molasses in january,,, throw in ANY health concern & its a 'raise the pot' bet things will be even slower,,, they don't have target dates, its not their $, & they don't make any more $ by doing their jobs faster

:icon_rolleyes:

 

[firebob]

I have been a bit luckier.


Were able to do 95% of all paperwork on line.
During inspections they want only 1 contact person around and they need to stay away, but be ready for the inspector to call and be able to walk the inspector though any questions. If ladders are needed they must be in position before the inspection.
After the inspection you will get an email with a list of pics / issues and depending on the severity of the issue they might let it go with an explanation.


The down side is that my paper permit is not singed off on. When bringing in trades they don't want to do any work till it gets fixed.



My last inspection I had an issue with my island sink vent. He said he looked at it for a minute and could not figure it out, but did not ask about it.