Anyone who has decided to remodel their house, or maybe put on an addition, will need a permit from their town or city which will allow them to do the work, providing the work that is done complies with their local governmental specifications. A permit is not without cost. It can cost as little as under $100 or its cost can skyrocket over $1000, depending upon the type of work that is planned, where it will be done, the value, and the size of the project. It is estimated that the percentage of homeowners who will be planning some type of renovation project this year will be about 40%. Of homeowners who have recently done a remodel, 31% remodeled one room. Remodeling a room was the number one project chosen by people doing an upgrade on their home.
People planning a project on their property were, at one time, of the belief that a building permit was simply a way for local authorities to refuse them the opportunity to make renovations to their own home or land. If a permit was not issued, the project was squashed. However, an example of the importance of needing a permit, whether a building permit, an electrical permit, or a residential permit, to name just a few, is the destruction of an entire town during a major storm. This actually happened in the 1990’s to a southern town during a powerful hurricane. Homes and buildings were demolished. It was discovered after the fact that when the homes and buildings were constructed, much of the work was done without permits of any kind. Therefore, codes were not adhered to and much of the construction was below safety standards.
For years corporations with plans to put up structures have needed to apply to the town or city for commerical building permits. The process was often a headache and sometimes a refusal from the local government caused delays, which, in turn, cost money. Companies began seeking out a liaison who would go between them and the town or city government. This liaison is called a permit expeditor. Recently, homeowners have begun to utilize the services of a permit expeditor as well. They have found that it is to their best interest to have someone on the inside who is educated and experienced in the necessary steps needed to obtain the permission they need to begin or continue their project.
A permit expeditor needs to have a positive relationship with members of the town or city government, must have a good working knowledge of real estate development, and must be able to interpret building and zoning codes. What the client basically needs from the permit expeditor is someone who understands the codes, the when’s and why’s, and how they are used. At times corporations or private owners will hire a permit expeditor to explain certain codes to them as they come up, helping them to understand all the ins and outs throughout their project. The best time to hire a permit expeditor for a project is at the very beginning, to be present throughout the process in order to assist with the interpretation of any questions or problems that could arise between owners and local government officials. The permit expeditor will negotiate with high ranking officials on the owner’s behalf, with abilities resulting from his or her knowledge of coding and zoning, which are usually stored in their heads like a computer database.
The job of expediting permits has become easier and less stressful as people have become aware that they have this commodity at their fingertips. With the help of permit expeditors, the approval of residential building permits, commercial building permits, and whatever additional permits are required for a project are happening faster. The waiting period for these permits through permit expeditors is often reduced from months to weeks or even days.
A permit expeditor can charge their client by the hour or by the project. Taking into consideration the money they save owners by offsetting any costly delays or suspensions during their project, corporations and private home owners are finding that permit expeditors are well worth their fee!