Permit Issuance

[cboboggs]

Just a straw poll. We are completely paper driven and do not have electronic permits.

1. Do you mail the permit to the applicant after issuance and payment?

 

[mtlogcabin]

We do not issue a permit without a signature, the contractror/owner has to personally appear in order to issue a permit.

 

[jj1289]

A copy of the approved permit is mailed to the property owner. If they provided their email address our permitting program will email the permit.

 

[Alias]

Just a straw poll. We are completely paper driven and do not have electronic permits.1. Do you mail the permit to the applicant after issuance and payment?

My permits are all on paper.

For me, it depends on the situation. I have out of town contractors from large firms (Verizon, Sign Co., etc.) that will mail a blank check when they apply for the permit. Some of these permits I have mailed to the applicant, some permits I have hand delivered when they get to to the job site. When I get the permit fees done I call them and ask them what they prefer.

Local contractors, happy homeowner, etc., all come in and pay at the main City Hall and get their permit and receipt then. On rare occasions they send a check and I'll send them the permit. This usually happens with someone from one of the outlying 'towns'.

Sue, living la vida loca on the frontier

 

[TJacobs]

What mtlogcabin said.

 

[Mule]

We do whatever it takes. We have mailed, faxed, emailed, hand delivered, pick up in the office, let the applicants brother-in-law on his wives uncles 3rd cousin or.....is there any other way to issue a permit???

 

[RJJ]

Smoke Signal!

We stamp all pages of the plans and all permits approved and dated. They can pick up or be mailed. Must have approved plan on job.

 

[peach]

The application for permit must be signed by the applicant (even if it's a permit runner). That person becomes the responsible party.

Makes you give a second thought to being a permit runner/expeditor.. which we have lots of here.

 

[Mark K]

The way I read Section 105.1 of the 2009 IBC is that the Owner is the responsible party and is the applicant. If a "permit runner" signs the application it is valid if he is an authorized agent of the Owner but ultimately it is the Owner who is responsible for compliance.

Section R105.1 of the 2009 IRC has the same language.

It is important that the Owner be responsible because if there is later a problem of non-compliance he will be the one who has to resolve the problem.

 

[SCBO1]

What Mule said!

PC1

 

[cboboggs]

Mark, I agree with your assessment, that is why we have the property owner sign off on all applications as well as the contractor.

I have one contractor that refuses to come to city hall to pick up the permit. They insist that they mail us a check and then we mail them the permit. Our attorney's opinion is that the permit is not ISSUED until it is paid for and picked up. The problem with this contractor is that they want the permit number the day we call and inform them that it is ready, so they can call in inspections.

 

[Mark K]

Since there is no permit the work is obviously not in compliance. You could issue a stop work order and inform the Owner. You could then charge them to evaluate what was done without a permit. This would get their attention and send a clear message.