The Benefits of Building Departments Going Paperless: An Opinionated Take

[jar546]

In the modern world, where efficiency and sustainability are at the forefront of every industry, it's high time for building departments to jump on the bandwagon and embrace a paperless future. The transition from traditional paper-based processes to digital solutions offers a myriad of benefits, not just for the building department itself but also for contractors, property owners, and the environment.

1. Enhanced EfficiencyOne of the most significant advantages of going paperless is the sheer efficiency it brings to the table. Digital systems are faster, more streamlined, and can manage vast amounts of data without the physical limitations of paper. This means quicker permit approvals, faster response times, and an overall more efficient workflow.

2. Eco-FriendlyBy eliminating the need for paper, building departments reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a greener planet. This not only conserves trees but also cuts down on the energy used in the production and disposal of paper.

3. Cost SavingsWhile there's an initial investment in setting up digital systems, the long-term savings are substantial. Think about the costs associated with paper, printing, storage, and transportation. All these expenses diminish or disappear entirely when a department goes digital.

4. Improved Transparency and AccountabilityThis brings us to one of the most crucial aspects: transparency. With digital systems, every action, every approval, and every delay is logged. This means that there's a clear, auditable trail of what transpired. Contractors can no longer conveniently blame the building department for delays in permit approvals. If a property owner questions them, all the facts are right there, accessible and clear. This level of transparency ensures that everyone is held accountable for their part in the process, leading to a more honest and open system.

5. Accessibility and ConvenienceDigital systems can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Whether it's a contractor checking the status of a permit or an official reviewing a submission, the information is available 24/7. This level of accessibility means no more waiting in long lines, no more lost paperwork, and no more time-bound constraints.

6. Enhanced Data SecurityDigital systems often come with robust security measures, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected. With backups and cloud storage, the risk of losing valuable information is minimal compared to paper documents which can be easily lost or damaged.

7. Streamlined CommunicationDigital platforms often include features that allow for real-time communication between different parties. This facilitates quicker decision-making and reduces the chances of misunderstandings or miscommunications.

In conclusion, the move to a paperless building department is not just a step forward—it's a leap into the future. The benefits are numerous, and the drawbacks are few and far between. It's time for building departments to embrace this change and reap the rewards of a more efficient, transparent, and sustainable system.

 

[ICE]

Accessibility and ConvenienceDigital systems can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Whether it's a contractor checking the status of a permit or an official reviewing a submission, the information is available 24/7. This level of accessibility means no more waiting in long lines, no more lost paperwork, and no more time-bound constraints.

It sounds a whole lot better than it works. I see this from the perspective of an inspector. The software is designed to appeal to all of the participants. That works about as well the old school printer/fax/scanner that sat on your desk. It could do all of that … slowly. At the more progressive departments, inspectors are armed with an iPad that slows them down... so much so that one wonders if it was done on purpose.

I have worked in cities that gave me the address and nothing more. Now that’s paperless that left me clueless. I didn’t know what inspection was requested, what active permits were out there, any prior corrections or approvals. The contractors might have paper copies of permits and a job card that they printed...and maybe not.

So yes, paperless is worth the transition for a bunch of reasons but there’s plenty of improvement needed before it helps inspectors.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

In the modern world, where efficiency and sustainability are at the forefront of every industry, it's high time for building departments to jump on the bandwagon and embrace a paperless future. The transition from traditional paper-based processes to digital solutions offers a myriad of benefits, not just for the building department itself but also for contractors, property owners, and the environment.

1. Enhanced EfficiencyOne of the most significant advantages of going paperless is the sheer efficiency it brings to the table. Digital systems are faster, more streamlined, and can manage vast amounts of data without the physical limitations of paper. This means quicker permit approvals, faster response times, and an overall more efficient workflow.

I can't agree with this. Trying to review a set of plans that runs 100 or more sheets is next to impossible on a computer, even if you have a monster screen (which most of us don't). With the paper drawings laid out on a plan table, I can easily jump between an architectural plan and the corresponding mechanical, electrical, or plumbing plan for that floor. On screen, it takes ages to move back and forth through a large set of drawings.

2. Eco-FriendlyBy eliminating the need for paper, building departments reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a greener planet. This not only conserves trees but also cuts down on the energy used in the production and disposal of paper.

The so-called "paperless" office just makes it easier as well as more necessary to waste your paper and toner printing things that the applicant would have provided "per-paperless."

3. Cost SavingsWhile there's an initial investment in setting up digital systems, the long-term savings are substantial. Think about the costs associated with paper, printing, storage, and transportation. All these expenses diminish or disappear entirely when a department goes digital.

4. Improved Transparency and AccountabilityThis brings us to one of the most crucial aspects: transparency. With digital systems, every action, every approval, and every delay is logged. This means that there's a clear, auditable trail of what transpired. Contractors can no longer conveniently blame the building department for delays in permit approvals. If a property owner questions them, all the facts are right there, accessible and clear. This level of transparency ensures that everyone is held accountable for their part in the process, leading to a more honest and open system.

5. Accessibility and ConvenienceDigital systems can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Whether it's a contractor checking the status of a permit or an official reviewing a submission, the information is available 24/7. This level of accessibility means no more waiting in long lines, no more lost paperwork, and no more time-bound constraints.

How well does it work trying to look up something from a 100+ page set of 32" x 48" plans when you're in the field with a 10-inch or 12-inch tablet screen?

6. Enhanced Data SecurityDigital systems often come with robust security measures, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected. With backups and cloud storage, the risk of losing valuable information is minimal compared to paper documents which can be easily lost or damaged.

I regard the risk-benefit evaluation on this quite opposite to the way you view it.

7. Streamlined CommunicationDigital platforms often include features that allow for real-time communication between different parties. This facilitates quicker decision-making and reduces the chances of misunderstandings or miscommunications.

We use Municity. We currently have a project that involves three [very small] permits on a single site. I recently took a routine action on each of them. The applicant (who mercifully has a sense of humor) e-mailed us that he had received 141 e-mails as a result of a routine status update on his three permits.

 

[jar546]

I can't agree with this. Trying to review a set of plans that runs 100 or more sheets is next to impossible on a computer, even if you have a monster screen (which most of us don't). With the paper drawings laid out on a plan table, I can easily jump between an architectural plan and the corresponding mechanical, electrical, or plumbing plan for that floor. On screen, it takes ages to move back and forth through a large set of drawings.

If you are using Bluebeam then you don't know how to use Bluebeam if you are having this issue. If you are not using Bluebeam, then that is the problem. You don't have to agree, but there is a learning curve.

 

[jar546]

The so-called "paperless" office just makes it easier as well as more necessary to waste your paper and toner printing things that the applicant would have provided "per-paperless."

Sorry, if you have the right software and set it up the right way, this is not an issue whatsoever.

 

[jar546]

How well does it work trying to look up something from a 100+ page set of 32" x 48" plans when you're in the field with a 10-inch or 12-inch tablet screen?

The Building Department is paperless, but the contractor should have a full set of AHJ stamped plans on the jobsite for you. Again, this is a non-issue.

 

[jar546]

I regard the risk-benefit evaluation on this quite opposite to the way you view it.

A good IT department can easily handle this when working in conjunction with your online platform. Once you go paperless, you will never go back. Yet another non-issue when you understand how it works.

 

[jar546]

We use Municity. We currently have a project that involves three [very small] permits on a single site. I recently took a routine action on each of them. The applicant (who mercifully has a sense of humor) e-mailed us that he had received 141 e-mails as a result of a routine status update on his three permits.

The right tool for the right job and the right person to coordinate how it works. Another part of this is the contractor who has to check his notification settings. He/She can easily set it up to reduce notifications to major notifications. This is a non-issue if you are set up the right way and educate your contractors and customers.

 

[Sifu]

MOST of the issues with the paperless/digital revolution are human issues. It seems to me that the new process has allowed/enabled the human side to disregard the duties that were previously required and employed. For me, as a plans examiner, intake is the most important function, and it has largely gone away. My job now involves a significant amount of time, deciphering, compiling, assembling, dis-assembling, etc. the documents. Then, I get to try to figure out what the scope of work is, and what I should be reviewing. Could this be fixed by rejecting until correct? Maybe, but I would be fired long before that occurred, and the next guy would have even less desire to go down that road. Poor development and policies have lead to an allowance of completely junk submittals. Poor "customer service" policies have lead to a "never say no" atmosphere and complete lack of accountability. So on the front end, paperless works in theory but not in practice.

However, on the back end, the part where I actually do the job they pay me to do, it has been an improvement.

I am reviewing a 500 page document right now, and that doesn't include the specs, calcs, geotech, etc. I use multiple large screens, with screen splits. I have found reviewing easier with the right equipment and software. AND I do it from anywhere I want. Could be jacked into a hotel room smart tv, could be from my home office, could be from Mexico. Way fewer hours are lost because I need to commute, take time off , or work a regimented schedule.

On the field side, we should absolutely require printed plans on site. I watermark every page of every review, so if the inspector doesn't see it, they should put the plans down and move on to the next stop. Instead, they are taught to give a "courtesy inspection", whatever that is. And the idea that inspectors should be expected to pull up plans on an IPAD is largely not practical. Doing it in the hot sun, or in the running truck, on a 10" screen, trying to decipher which document to use (DON'T GET ME STARTED ON NAMING CONVENTIONS), then walk around with it, (I left mine on more than one site because I put it down to manipulate a tape measure or flashlight). But, even if you want to go that route, connectivity is a huge problem, at least in most places I work.

Lots of things work in the new era, some better in theory than in practice. Most would provide a better experience for everyone if the human side could be improved, I just haven't seen any improvement, in fact I see it getting worse.

Seals and document integrity are still a complete farce and security is barely an afterthought.

I applaud those that are able to make it work, and maybe eventually we all get there. I'm thinking I'll be retired before that happens for me. I am empowered to get the job done, however I see fit. So I do. I create work arounds, do more front end work, and cut out as much of the up-front human error as possible. Not ideal, but it is the hand I have been dealt.

 

[mtlogcabin]

Our internet runs through the states firewall system and our permitting system operates in the cloud. The state and therefore we were down for 2 days last week where we could not access our permit system from the desktops.

When a disaster happens do you have an alternate way to access your information if your system is operates in the cloud and relies on the internet to function?

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

MOST of the issues with the paperless/digital revolution are human issues. It seems to me that the new process has allowed/enabled the human side to disregard the duties that were previously required and employed. For me, as a plans examiner, intake is the most important function, and it has largely gone away. My job now involves a significant amount of time, deciphering, compiling, assembling, dis-assembling, etc. the documents. Then, I get to try to figure out what the scope of work is, and what I should be reviewing. Could this be fixed by rejecting until correct? Maybe, but I would be fired long before that occurred, and the next guy would have even less desire to go down that road. Poor development and policies have lead to an allowance of completely junk submittals. Poor "customer service" policies have lead to a "never say no" atmosphere and complete lack of accountability. So on the front end, paperless works in theory but not in practice.

Emphasis added because this is exactly the problem.

In my corner of the universe, the municipalities look on the building departments as a cash cow. The permit fees go into the general fund, and the department budget is typically less than half of the revenue from permit fees. That's not the way it's supposed to be, but that's the way it is.

A few years ago a town near me had a very good, very conscientious building official. For reasons undetermined, a new administration didn't like him so, when it was time to renew his appointment -- they didn't. Instead they brought in a new guy, a friend of the mayor, who was a newly-minted BO and (in my personal and professional opinion) totally unqualified in any way other than having passed the exam. He screwed up multiple inspections, only did cursory plan reviews -- but he would drive around town all day looking for small jobs being done without permits, and hammer those contractors. So the administration loved him because he was generating more income for the general fund.

 

[ICE]

but he would drive around town all day looking for small jobs being done without permits, and hammer those contractors. So the administration loved him because he was generating more income for the general fund.

Mrs. Stotmeister, my high school English teacher, would give you an F for using the word "very". So what is wrong with hammering recalcitrant contractors? While it is not something that I endorse, I don't find fault with those that do.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Mrs. Stotmeister, my high school English teacher, would give you an F for using the word "very". So what is wrong with hammering recalcitrant contractors? While it is not something that I endorse, I don't find fault with those that do.

Okay -- strike "very" and insert "extremely."

I agree, to a point. There should be no work done without a permit (other than work exempted from permit under the code), but in a one-man department that one man shouldn't neglect the active applications and permits while he cruises around looking for ways to increase the department's income.

 

[klarenbeek]

It sounds a whole lot better than it works. I see this from the perspective of an inspector. The software is designed to appeal to all of the participants. That works about as well the old school printer/fax/scanner that sat on your desk. It could do all of that … slowly. At the more progressive departments, inspectors are armed with an iPad that slows them down... so much so that one wonders if it was done on purpose.

I have worked in cities that gave me the address and nothing more. Now that’s paperless that left me clueless. I didn’t know what inspection was requested, what active permits were out there, any prior corrections or approvals. The contractors might have paper copies of permits and a job card that they printed...and maybe not.

So yes, paperless is worth the transition for a bunch of reasons but there’s plenty of improvement needed before it helps inspectors.

Just like anything, it's a matter of not being used or implemented properly. The address and nothing more problem is poor organization that has nothing to do with being paperless. I can use my inspection app on my iPad to look up other permits at that address, and if I need more detail I can remote back into my office desktop from my iPad. No system is perfect, but the majority of problems come from either implementation or not knowing the limits of the system you are using.

 

[jar546]

Just like anything, it's a matter of not being used or implemented properly. The address and nothing more problem is poor organization that has nothing to do with being paperless. I can use my inspection app on my iPad to look up other permits at that address, and if I need more detail I can remote back into my office desktop from my iPad. No system is perfect, but the majority of problems come from either implementation or not knowing the limits of the system you are using.

I agree with this. If you don't have the right platform, or it is not set up correctly, you will have issues. Nothing creates more issues than still using paper and manila folders to keep track of permits. At this point, it is practically barbaric it is so inefficient.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

We've gone paperless. I'm an old fart, and been the biggest booster of it. It's staggeringly efficient.

Three years ago, I had plans for an addition to a gas station/store with some value-added departments. The plan called for the addition to go in a corner of the building, and I immediately had some issues with exiting distances. So I grabbed the paper plan and spent way the hell too much time with a scale ruler, marking out exit paths and double-checking my work.

There was a flaw in the plan, so I had the designer re-submit. They sent a .pdf, and I decided to try to find a digital solution. I found one quite quickly (pdf Xchange), was able to calibrate distance to the plan. It took me minutes to calculate all my exit paths.

I have a big screen at work that allows me to delve into digital plans easily. All my codes/standards are pdfs. In fact, my boss is going to give me a second screen so I can have more windows open. (I supplement this with a binder of frequent codes, btw). If there have been revisions to plans prior to permit issuance, I will digitally stamp the digital plans and send them back with the review.

I have heard comments from folks who would overlay plans on a light-table, and claim this is a reason not to go digital. Really? Almost any robust computer can run software that will do the same. Wanna overlay electrical against plumbing? Sure. See if Ventilation is going through fire-rated walls? Not an issue. It's like the light-table but sixty-jillion times more efficient.

Today, I was called to an inspection on a file I knew nothing about. I was able to pull the data from the cloud, read the plans review, notes, inspection reports, emails, plans (etc., etc) and go to the inspection knowing what I was getting into. Didn't need to go to the office to do that.

In our region, I'm the one that does almost all the files that aren't a single-family house. I can carry every. single. one. of my active permits with me. I can also carry every standard I need with me. Couple months ago, I was at a restaurant that had been the subject of a re-routing of a hood-vent system for a deep fryer. I was on another task when I looked at the (closed) building and saw what sure looked like a vent pipe running horizontally at an angle that didn't look right. I'm not intimately familiar with NFPA 96. I was pretty sure something was borked, but not *that* sure, but mostly sure. So, I go back to the truck, set the phone to give interweb to my laptop, surf to the NFPA website, and load up NFPA 96. I refresh my memory about the required upward slope, and armed with that, now have near certainty that the installer goofed. I write my report, cite a few sections of the reference, email it to the owner and off I go.

Compare that to driving back to the office, looking things up in a book, then mailing the inspection report to the owner. There is simply no comparison.

This whole obstructionist view towards digital plans review/permits reminds me of the hullaballoo over going to digital cameras when I was in journalism. I was one of the first in the entire province-wide newspaper chain to go digital (2002), but after I did folks rapidly realized that the advantages far outweighed any of the (often over-stated) detractions.

Doing this job diitally has made me more efficient, more accurate, more responsive and more organized. Our inspections are done digitally, tracked digitally, and sent by email. Since we went full email, only one (1) client has requested a paper copy. It's been the outlier.

 

[ICE]

in a one-man department that one man shouldn't neglect the active applications and permits while he cruises around looking for ways to increase the department's income.

I have experience with a one man department. I was new to the business of a building department. It was a County contract city ... I had virtually no supervision. When I say new, I was an inspector for six months before being assigned to the city.

not knowing the limits of the system you are using

The end of my nose is the beginning of my limitation.

 

[klarenbeek]

Honest opinions of an inspector who started out with nothing but paper and has now been paperless for several years:

1. Saves me time. this is by far the biggest plus I used to get calls from the office on a regular basis asking if I was OK with occupancy at any given project because my notes were either still with me in the truck or piled on my desk because I didn't have time to finish the PAPERwork until tomorrow. Now I do an inspection, enter it on the iPad while there, and as soon as I hit "done" its sent to the main system in the office. Not one bit of paperwork to do for inspections when I get back to the office. If I lose connection, as long as I don't log out the app saves all my inputs and will download them when connection is restored. BTW every contractor gets an emailed inspection report of every inspection, and can look it up online with their access portal, as soon as the inspection is done.

2. Organization. When going over outstanding corrections or old open permits back at the office, I can do customized searches where I can set the parameters. Our IT administrator has frequently used ones preset for us. When I started we did have an old green screen database system where everything was manually entered and we did have the ability to get a few reports from it but very limited and not adaptable. On inspections, thing like pictures can be added instantly, and third party reports can be attached to permits quickly and also viewed out in the field where before they were often filed away in the office so I'd have to make myself a note to look them up when I got back.

3. I also manage 3 other inspectors. I can instantly pull up their lists and see what they have done and what they have left, look at their notes, and they have the ability to do the same. They can easily move inspections to each other if one has a long list, runs into a problem that holds them up, or gets sick and heads home. They don't even need to come into the office daily to get their list.

4. As far as plans, yes plans for all but small project suck on the iPad, that's when you look at the plans the contractor has on site. I did the same before we went paperless, the only difference I had to 100% rely on the contractor's plans on site. In the office I have two decent sized screens that are workable, but our plans examiners are 20 feet away with Bluebeam and LARGE screens if I need them.

We use Energov, with IG inspect on our iPads. We also have the ability to remote in to our desktops from our iPads if needed. The transition was a bit rocky at times, but its MUCH better on this side of it. We had an inspector that when I started never even turned on his desktop. By the time he retired he was sold on using the iPad. No giant box of paper permits in his truck anymore.

 

[Beniah Naylor]

Any more, the commercial contractors are using iPads and Procore in the field - right down to tracking people's whereabouts when they are logged in to the app. The super can always find his guys on a multi-story building if they are logged in to the app, comments are made on the plans that are only visible to certain people (or everyone). They're getting this stuff figured out too...

 

[mtlogcabin]

The super can always find his guys on a multi-story building if they are logged in to the app

We carried dead batteries to put in the walkie talkies back in the day because the super was always interrupting us at the most egregious times with irrelevant questions.

 

[ICE]

I also manage 3 other inspectors.

From the city website I gleaned that you are the Mechanical Inspection Manager. Counting you and the three other mechanical inspectors and extrapolating that to the four other categories, there might be as many as sixteen inspectors or as few as twelve... or maybe more. How many physical addresses does a typical inspector visit on an average day?

LA County uses Energov and IG inspect. Thankfully, I escaped just before they went live with the iPads. The inspectors that I have breakfast with hate the iPad. They claim that it takes way more time to enter the data than did the actual inspection. Hence my question to you about the workload. The county guys that I know average a dozen stops per day. Some work remote. None like the iPad. Now if they were given half the load, the dust might settle.

 

[jar546]

he inspectors that I have breakfast with hate the iPad. They claim that it takes way more time to enter the data than did the actual inspection.

They complain because now they can't hide their workload and sit in a car in one place for hours saying they were doing paperwork. The most efficient thing you can do is result in real-time, on the fly as you do inspections. When you are done, you are done and don't have to go back to the office or "sit" in you car for hours resulting inspections. I have done both and paper inspections allows more room for error and is as inefficient as it gets.

 

[klarenbeek]

From the city website I gleaned that you are the Mechanical Inspection Manager. Counting you and the three other mechanical inspectors and extrapolating that to the four other categories, there might be as many as sixteen inspectors or as few as twelve... or maybe more. How many physical addresses does a typical inspector visit on an average day?

LA County uses Energov and IG inspect. Thankfully, I escaped just before they went live with the iPads. The inspectors that I have breakfast with hate the iPad. They claim that it takes way more time to enter the data than did the actual inspection. Hence my question to you about the workload. The county guys that I know average a dozen stops per day. Some work remote. None like the iPad. Now if they were given half the load, the dust might settle.

Nailed it. There's 19 total inspectors in our department. 4 mech, 4 plumbing, 6 electrical, and 5 building with another getting hired this fall. There's also 3 property maintenance inspectors. Depending on the day and what's getting inspected each inspector does anywhere from 10-30 stops on a typical day. Averaging probably about 16 per day.
Like I said it was a rocky transition, and there were a couple inspectors eligible to retire who did. And I'm certainly not saying its a perfect system, there's definitely things I would like different but we find work arounds or get used to what we don't like. My two newer guys don't know any different.

I guess I don't know why it would take them longer to enter their notes/counts on an iPad than writing them down on paper. Any fixture/item counts are a matter of entering numbers, and anything of any length like a description or corrections I dictate in. Its just a different way of doing the same thing.

 

[ICE]

You say i

They complain because now they can't hide their workload and sit in a car in one place for hours saying they were doing paperwork.

You say it like you mean it. Were that the truth, I would have said that. So what paperwork are you talking about? The "paper" way involved stapling a copy of a paper correction slip to a paper permit. That was a done deal... no emails were sent... the contractor had a copy of the corrections and the permit went back into a filing cabinet.

The new "paperless" method adds a dozen steps. You write corrections on a notepad because the contractor doesn't get a copy... you write the corrections again in an iPad and then email that to the various players... that's no less than three... you immediately get emails with questions. Each trade has a separate permit and the various corrections have to be entered in each trade's permit. I have seen it in action. Each trade gets an email sent. It takes a long time.

A bunch of guys with pocket protectors and an inordinate ability to use a computer decided that because they are the smart ones this will benefit the world. It's bullshlt and you know it.