What Should a Permit Expediter Bring to the Table?
A Permit Expediter is a trained professional that advises clients throughout the permitting process to keep construction projects on schedule and within budget. Because the process of getting a construction project permitted can be difficult, especially in certain jurisdictions, we recommend hiring an experienced permit expediting firm. What should this firm bring to the table?
Local Expertise:
A good Permit Expediter should offer local expertise, knowing the process of a region inside-and-out. They should have a Rolodex of local contacts with whom they can contact for important questions and inquiries. Additionally, they should be aware of specific codes that could affect your project. When vetting a permit expediting firm, it’s wise to ask what projects they’ve previously completed in that region. This will help you gauge their knowledge into the specific process that your project will likely go through.
Pre-Screen Plans:
Prior to submitting a set of plans to the jurisdiction for review, a Permit Expediter should carefully screen them for you. They will need to pay close attention to details regarding the correct number/order of plan sets, fee amounts, signatures/seals, etc. This will help them catch any mistakes and avoid unnecessary comments back from the Plan Reviewer in order to save you time and likely money. We discuss this in greater detail in another blog article.
Project Management:
A Project Manager should act as a single point of contact between you and the jurisdiction. They should communicate with you often to provide updates and respond to inquiries. If they’re working on multiple projects for you, such as a roll-out, they can seamlessly provide updates across your projects by providing weekly status updates.
About Permit Advisors:
Permit Advisors, Inc. is a nationwide permit expediting, entitlement, and consulting firm based out of Beverly Hills, CA. We have established relationships with municipalities nation-wide and implement time as well as cost-saving strategies to efficiently complete projects. We provide a project management team to ensure every aspect of the project is given specific attention while maintaining open communication between the jurisdiction, consultants, and our clients. We serve retailers, architects, landlords, tenant coordinators, contractors, and franchisees nationwide in the hotel, retail, restaurant, mixed-use, multifamily, entertainment, grocery, and logistical plant development industries. Contact us today for a consultation.
