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Building Department Software

C

Code Neophyte

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Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
271
Location
Central Missouri
No problem, Jeff. Glad it was you instead of me this time!

I started a thread yesterday about using ACCESS for a building permit database, and to survey you folks to see if you prefer an in-house invention like this, or a commercially-produced software package. I was unable to get back to the board last night to see the responses, so please indulge me by responding (or re-responding, as the case may be) in this new thread. What software do you use or do you recommend? If you purchase software, do you have a ballpark figure as to cost? Responses are much appreciated!!
 
Re: Building Department Software

I had replied with a link to Franklin

http://www.franklininfo.com/

It is a fairly basic system that works well for our Village of 7,000 and daytime population of 25,000

No information regarding cost, as it was purchased before I started here.

You can buy in with a basic package, and upgrade with various add-in modules.

mj
 
Re: Building Department Software

I would not recommend "Naviline" by SunGuard. for permits. It's just about the most user unfriendly interface possible and their softwear support? Well.... you better be wearing a very good sports bra.

Our jurisdiction just spent 140K on Project DOX otherwise known as Eplan. It interfaces with Naviline. Been looking at this for 2 years. Just had a lot of training and it seems to be very, very user friendly. The plan review tools are incredable!!! This is very cool stuff! If you have even the very basic, basic knowledge of autocad you can be up and running doing plan review with nothing more than a 1 hour instructional class.
 
Re: Building Department Software

Our current system most closely resembles the "receipt on a nail", modeled after turn-of-the-previous-century's retailers' accounting system - in other words, for all practical purposes, we have no department software. Our jurisdiction has somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 parcels. We use two very rudimentary ACCESS databases - one for nuisance abatement, and one for building permits. When I say rudimentary, I mean just that: Both databases are merely "lists" containing the most basic information. No ability to generate meaningful reports (due to lack of input fields AND our IT Dept.'s security limits, which do not allow the ability to run queries, etc.

So in trying to be realistic, I'm looking for something (which very well may not exist!) in the $3 - 5k range, which would give us a very basic building permit recording utility, with the capability of generating reports, recording inspections, notifying of expired/expiring permits, etc. I'd love to think we could at some point spring for $140k and have plan review modules and all of that, but right now I'd settle for far, far less.

Any recommendations?
 
Re: Building Department Software

Several years ago we used a software called Permit Wacker. It was developed by the tech guys at SBCCI when SBCCI went south. It was a pretty good program and was within that price range. I don't know what their prices are now! Their company was named M2SI.

Here is their web site.

M2SI
 
Re: Building Department Software

We use Microsoft Access. The progam was built locally for $20,000 and has no yearly fees. We can make changes in-house and most problems are corrected remotely. It is a great program and is made totally to our specifications. I would not even think about paying for a program that costs twice as much and has yearly service fees.

Dean
 
Re: Building Department Software

I am in a large jurisdiction of 275,000 population in LA County. We used Access several years ago, and it was OK, but very difficult to interface with other software and it was very cumbersome. We switched to Tidemark (Accella product). It is better than writing our own on Access, but still is lacking in ability to generate reports. We are now integrating into ProjectDox (mentioned by another poster). We should be up and running right after the first of the year. This is an amazing product that interfaces with just about every permitting software available. We are being observed by several surrounding large jurisdictions, including LA County, to see how WE do with it. If all goes well, the LA basin may soon be electronic for all plan check! Talk about GREEN and sustainable changes!!! We were able to use some "Obama money" to implement the change on the basis of environmental impact and developer friendly issues promoting a more streamlined permitting process.

Good luck with it. I also have good things to say about Permits PLus by Accella. I used that software in Prescott Valley, AZ. Very user friendly with workflows and several other tools to assist in documentation and tracking.
 
Re: Building Department Software

Our jurisdiction uses CRW TRAKIT fo rpermitting and data collection. We've had it now for 1 1/2 years and it is great. It was pretty spendy - somewhere around $200,000.

As far as electronic plan review goes, we use ABODE PRO and have built our own system/methods. Even with the 42" screens I think the total investment is about $15,000. It doesn't interface with CRW, but we do save the e-plan pdf's in there under each permit. It works great; we love it and the customers love it. What more could you ask for?
 
Re: Building Department Software

We use a program developed by a company called BMSI they are located in New Hampshire. It is a very easy to use program basic price when we got it 4 years ago was $5,000. Tech support people are great.
 
Re: Building Department Software

A few years ago I worked in a jurisdiction in Colorado that used a program called Fire Manager. Although it was designed to be used in a fire department it is a very good permit program and is capable of managing construction projects, code deficiencies and ongoing building inspections. The product was developed by people who were involved in the day to day operations of plan review and inspection. They have modules for all facets of government agency management.

http://www.thefiremanager.com/nfirs.html
 
Cboboggs' recent post regarding Black Bear brought me back to this post from a ways back. We're also, in our jurisdiction, back to talking about department software (still have none, believe it or not), and am still looking for options on the "lower end" of the cost spectrum. Any new suggestions or additional thoughts about any that have already been mentioned?
 
EDEN

Jurisdiction size= 18,000 parcels, 400-500 permits issued annually.

When I arrived 3 years ago, there was an in house MS Access database. It was one step up from having cardboard boxes with assorted color paper written on with a sharpie.

Our county accounting department/auditor several years ago switched to EDEN for the main software. Part of the deal (upsell) was purchasing of the building permitting module. EDEN, by Tyler.

It is the low end of acceptable.

Very quirky with a number of fields that you can not change.

We had no choice really, so we have developed some creative workarounds within the program.

If someone is seeking to purchase new software for the building dept. I would recommend against this product, just from the 1.5 years we have been using it.

I saw some mention of electronic plan review software modules mentioned by previous posters. It sounds good, but how are you guys with spending that much time in front of the computer?? I try to minimize my screen exposure time and much prefer the printed format....
 
We use a program called Municity that is districuted by General Code. The program has many options available and the customer support is wonderful. I would recommend this program to any Municipality. They do not do a lot of advertising.
 
Created our own in-house software using ACCESS and based loosely on Blackbear. We started using it in 1998 and have tweaked it about 6 times. Generates monthly/annual reports at touch of button. Auto enters ownership information based on address entry. Does a lot of cool things that the IT Techy came up with. Don't think we would consider an outside program if you have someone in house with the brains to set up the databases.
 
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