The Importance of The Permit Technician in the Building Permit Process

[jar546]

A Permit Technician plays a critical role in the construction and building industry, primarily handling the review and issuance of permits. Their responsibilities include assessing permit applications from contractors and homeowners, ensuring the inclusion of all necessary documentation, and checking for compliance with local building codes and zoning regulations. They evaluate applications for completeness and accuracy, calculate and collect permit fees, and issue permits once all requirements are met. Additionally, Permit Technicians maintain accurate records of issued permits, provide guidance to applicants about the permit process, and coordinate with other departments to ensure smooth processing. Their role requires strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and knowledge of construction processes, making them an integral part of any building department.

 

[ICE]

Story time II

There was a time when I was the building dept. I issued the permits, answered the phones, plan checked any residential under 600 sq. ft. and performed all of the inspections. I remember the day a particularly offensive contractor belittled me without mercy as I issued his permit. When the...

www.thebuildingcodeforum.com

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Not seeing how this differs from what inspectors do ...

 

[jar546]

Not seeing how this differs from what inspectors do ...

There is a big difference.

• Permit technicians are looking at completeness of the applications and ensuring that all the paperwork is ready to go to the plans examiners.
• Permit technicians are the first stop in verifying whether or not a building permit has to go to zoning or not.
• Permit technicians are handling all of the phone calls about permit status, and other basic questions as to if a permit is required or not.
• Permit technicians are dealing with contractors and owners at the counter, assisting them as needed or getting the appropriate person.
• Permit technicians register contractors with the municipality.
• Permit technicians schedule inspections that are called in or requested online.
• Permit technicians are coordinating the inspectors and who gets what inspections.
• Permit technicians handle the money and generate receipt if online or in person.
• Permit technicians close out the permits after all of the permit requirements are made.
• Permit technicians do a lot more than is listed above.

• Inspectors perform inspections.

• Plans examiners do plan review.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

There is a big difference.

• Permit technicians are looking at completeness of the applications and ensuring that all the paperwork is ready to go to the plans examiners.

I do that for our office, in conjunction with a development officer. Senior inspector looks at plans, DO looks at zoning/site plan/septic/setback/wetlands alteration/yada/yada. If both approve, it goes to zoning. If either one denies, the plan is rejected with a list of all requirements.

• Permit technicians are the first stop in verifying whether or not a building permit has to go to zoning or not.

All permits have to go to zoning, so n/a.

• Permit technicians are handling all of the phone calls about permit status, and other basic questions as to if a permit is required or not.

Admin assistant, directed to BI if needed.

• Permit technicians are dealing with contractors and owners at the counter, assisting them as needed or getting the appropriate person.

Admin assistant.

• Permit technicians schedule inspections that are called in or requested online.

Contractors call inspectors directly here. No need for a middle person to slow things down.

• Permit technicians are coordinating the inspectors and who gets what inspections.

Inspectors follow their files here. Files are assigned on the basis of qualification/certification. Inspectors are responsible from plans review to final inspection.

• Permit technicians handle the money and generate receipt if online or in person.

Admin assistant.

• Permit technicians close out the permits after all of the permit requirements are made.

BI in conjunction with admin assistant.

• Inspectors perform inspections.

I do those, too.

• Plans examiners do plan review.

Here, all BIs do plans examinations, then issue permits and are primarily responsible for following those permits through to connclusion.

So it seems to me this is a "big city/big bureaucracy" thing.

 

[jar546]

Contractors call inspectors directly here. No need for a middle person to slow things down.

No sh&*. Who do you think is answering the phones?

 

[jar546]

So it seems to me this is a "big city/big bureaucracy" thing.

No, its not just a small town, one or two man operation. Cities and big cities have a lot more layers than I do as a town but apparently the 2,600 permits a year that we handle must be a lot compared to the jurisdiction you are working in.

 

[ICE]

The permit techs make coffee. After that I don't expect a whole lot.

One quiet day it was myself and a customer alone at the counter . The three lady permit techs were at their desk. After explaining as much as I could, I advised the man to obtain a permit. He looked at the techs and asked me which one should he ask for that. I said, "I'd ask the pretty one." They all got a kick out of that.

They were all pretty.... well most of them anyway. I would tell them that every so often... except for the "well most of them" part. What they liked about me was that I didn't take prisoners when people were abusing them. Several got tearing eyed when I left for good.

 

[IrishEyes]

The direction in which this post has taken, is quite surprising.

I have been an Office Manager and Permit Technician for almost 14 years. I have recently obtained my ICC Permit Tech certification as a way to increase my knowledge and to add to the level of my services that I provide.

I have never made a single person coffee. If you would like coffee, please make it yourself.

I started out with a very small third party inspection agency. During my time with that company, I scheduled all inspections, handled all phone calls, processed all permit applications. I drove to every municipality that we were contracted with to pick up permit applications, blue prints, help with billing and I even went to their town commission meetings as a representative for the company when needed. These things that I've listed aren't even half of what I did on a daily basis.

My inspectors never had to do anything outside of plan review and their inspections. They had plenty on their plates with that and it was my job as the Office Manager/Permit Technician to handle all the things that I could so that we were providing top tier customer service.

Can an office manager do some of these job duties that a permit technician has, sure. However, nothing takes the place of a good permit technician. We take pride in our jobs and how we provide customer service to the contractors but especially the homeowners. We are an integral part of how the building department works and when you have a great team in place, everything obviously works better.

Its unfornate that some of you may have had questionable experiences with the permit technicians that you have worked with. I find it to be unfair to group all of us together due to a small number of permit technician's that either weren't trained properly or just simply weren't a good fit for that specific job title.

I now work for a much larger company and my job duties have increased. I continue to increase my knowledge, expertise and level of service with each passing day. I am in an environment that allows me to successfully do that while being considered an equal regardless of my job title. The team I work with each brings their own level of expertise, we learn from each other and help the building department grow successfully.

I can handle myself when it comes to contractors who tend to get a little loud when things aren't going the way they have hoped. I have reached out to upper management for help in specific situations where I felt their expertise was needed. I've worked through natural disasters where both contractors and homeowners alike were saying things out of pure desperation, frustration, sadness and anger. It was in those times, that I learned quite a bit on how to approach situations and people. I also understand that not everyone can do that and will need a little help, nothing wrong with that.

I think its safe to say, that though we all have varied experiences, permit technician's play a big role in the functionality of the building department.

And we are certainly more than just a pretty face.

 

[jar546]

The direction in which this post has taken, is quite surprising.

I have been an Office Manager and Permit Technician for almost 14 years. I have recently obtained my ICC Permit Tech certification as a way to increase my knowledge and to add to the level of my services that I provide.

I have never made a single person coffee. If you would like coffee, please make it yourself.

I started out with a very small third party inspection agency. During my time with that company, I scheduled all inspections, handled all phone calls, processed all permit applications. I drove to every municipality that we were contracted with to pick up permit applications, blue prints, help with billing and I even went to their town commission meetings as a representative for the company when needed. These things that I've listed aren't even half of what I did on a daily basis.

My inspectors never had to do anything outside of plan review and their inspections. They had plenty on their plates with that and it was my job as the Office Manager/Permit Technician to handle all the things that I could so that we were providing top tier customer service.

Can an office manager do some of these job duties that a permit technician has, sure. However, nothing takes the place of a good permit technician. We take pride in our jobs and how we provide customer service to the contractors but especially the homeowners. We are an integral part of how the building department works and when you have a great team in place, everything obviously works better.

Its unfornate that some of you may have had questionable experiences with the permit technicians that you have worked with. I find it to be unfair to group all of us together due to a small number of permit technician's that either weren't trained properly or just simply weren't a good fit for that specific job title.

I now work for a much larger company and my job duties have increased. I continue to increase my knowledge, expertise and level of service with each passing day. I am in an environment that allows me to successfully do that while being considered an equal regardless of my job title. The team I work with each brings their own level of expertise, we learn from each other and help the building department grow successfully.

I can handle myself when it comes to contractors who tend to get a little loud when things aren't going the way they have hoped. I have reached out to upper management for help in specific situations where I felt their expertise was needed. I've worked through natural disasters where both contractors and homeowners alike were saying things out of pure desperation, frustration, sadness and anger. It was in those times, that I learned quite a bit on how to approach situations and people. I also understand that not everyone can do that and will need a little help, nothing wrong with that.

I think its safe to say, that though we all have varied experiences, permit technician's play a big role in the functionality of the building department.

And we are certainly more than just a pretty face.

And this........is why you are here. Excellent perspective.

 

[ICE]

Hey there Irish, got your dander up. Try making the coffee.... and then you'll be the pretty girl that makes the coffee. Is there something wrong with that? I made the coffee ...once... I was told to not do that again.

There's no point in getting all wound up over anything that I say. I will never apologize for my views on the gentler gender.... I do try to keep it to myself... I'll try harder.

 

[IrishEyes]

Hey there Irish, got your dander up. Try making the coffee.... and then you'll be the pretty girl that makes the coffee. Is there something wrong with that? I made the coffee ...once... I was told to not do that again.

There's no point in getting all wound up over anything that I say. I will never apologize for my views on the gentler gender.... I do try to keep it to myself... I'll try harder.

No one is wound up. Simply stating my professional opinion on a job that I have held for a significant amount of time.

We also won't make this about gender either or who prefers to make the coffee. We will simply stick to the factual points of what makes a permit technician good at their job.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

No, its not just a small town, one or two man operation. Cities and big cities have a lot more layers than I do as a town but apparently the 2,600 permits a year that we handle must be a lot compared to the jurisdiction you are working in.

825 files last year, including complicated subdivisions and big apartments to "I was told I needed a permit for the garage I already built in the boondocks," and "I wanna build a fence in the posh town with the sixty zillion rules."

 

[Inspector Gadget]

No one is wound up. Simply stating my professional opinion on a job that I have held for a significant amount of time.

We also won't make this about gender either or who prefers to make the coffee. We will simply stick to the factual points of what makes a permit technician good at their job.

I start a half-hour after our admin assistant. Every morning, I come in, nab the second coffee of the day (the first just gets me to the office) and praise the admin assistant for being an amazing human being and a valuable asset to the team.

I say the latter part louder if the boss is in the building.

PS: Our senior planner has been banned from touching the coffee pot.

 

[Darren Emery]

The direction in which this post has taken, is quite surprising.

I have been an Office Manager and Permit Technician for almost 14 years. I have recently obtained my ICC Permit Tech certification as a way to increase my knowledge and to add to the level of my services that I provide.

I have never made a single person coffee. If you would like coffee, please make it yourself.

I started out with a very small third party inspection agency. During my time with that company, I scheduled all inspections, handled all phone calls, processed all permit applications. I drove to every municipality that we were contracted with to pick up permit applications, blue prints, help with billing and I even went to their town commission meetings as a representative for the company when needed. These things that I've listed aren't even half of what I did on a daily basis.

My inspectors never had to do anything outside of plan review and their inspections. They had plenty on their plates with that and it was my job as the Office Manager/Permit Technician to handle all the things that I could so that we were providing top tier customer service.

Can an office manager do some of these job duties that a permit technician has, sure. However, nothing takes the place of a good permit technician. We take pride in our jobs and how we provide customer service to the contractors but especially the homeowners. We are an integral part of how the building department works and when you have a great team in place, everything obviously works better.

Its unfornate that some of you may have had questionable experiences with the permit technicians that you have worked with. I find it to be unfair to group all of us together due to a small number of permit technician's that either weren't trained properly or just simply weren't a good fit for that specific job title.

I now work for a much larger company and my job duties have increased. I continue to increase my knowledge, expertise and level of service with each passing day. I am in an environment that allows me to successfully do that while being considered an equal regardless of my job title. The team I work with each brings their own level of expertise, we learn from each other and help the building department grow successfully.

I can handle myself when it comes to contractors who tend to get a little loud when things aren't going the way they have hoped. I have reached out to upper management for help in specific situations where I felt their expertise was needed. I've worked through natural disasters where both contractors and homeowners alike were saying things out of pure desperation, frustration, sadness and anger. It was in those times, that I learned quite a bit on how to approach situations and people. I also understand that not everyone can do that and will need a little help, nothing wrong with that.

I think its safe to say, that though we all have varied experiences, permit technician's play a big role in the functionality of the building department.

And we are certainly more than just a pretty face.

 

[IrishEyes]

I start a half-hour after our admin assistant. Every morning, I come in, nab the second coffee of the day (the first just gets me to the office) and praise the admin assistant for being an amazing human being and a valuable asset to the team.

I say the latter part louder if the boss is in the building.

PS: Our senior planner has been banned from touching the coffee pot.

Always appreciated when you praise the job we do especially in front of the boss.

 

[Darren Emery]

A high-end, professional, effective permit tech can be a game changer for a building department.

The PEs can just E.

The BIs can just I.

The BOs can just....well, whatever a BO does when he or she is being effective.

 

[ICE]

We will simply stick to the factual points

You say that like I made the coffee... again.

 

[IrishEyes]

A high-end, professional, effective permit tech can be a game changer for a building department.

The PEs can just E.

The BIs can just I.

The BOs can just....well, whatever a BO does when he or she is being effective.

I completely agree!

 

[steveray]

A Permit Technician plays a critical role in the construction and building industry, primarily handling the review and issuance of permits. Their responsibilities include assessing permit applications from contractors and homeowners, ensuring the inclusion of all necessary documentation, and checking for compliance with local building codes and zoning regulations. They evaluate applications for completeness and accuracy, calculate and collect permit fees, and issue permits once all requirements are met. Additionally, Permit Technicians maintain accurate records of issued permits, provide guidance to applicants about the permit process, and coordinate with other departments to ensure smooth processing. Their role requires strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and knowledge of construction processes, making them an integral part of any building department.

Especially my Permit Tech....If i had to choose between her and one on my assistants....It would be her....

 

[Mr. Inspector]

our permit tech is really good at her job. She won't make me coffee, but she tries to help the public as much as possible. Maybe she goes too far. She knows that most of our service inspections fail because there is only one ground bar because most houses were built before we had codes and it's usually just for a reconnect. We even require newer houses to have 2 ground bars because we can't verify that it has a connection to any rebar when all we see is a copper wire going into the ground or basement floor. She stared telling the applicates for a service that two ground bars are required. So far this is what we see at the inspection.

 

[jar546]

require newer houses to have 2 ground bars because we can't verify that it has a connection to any rebar when all we see is a copper wire going into the ground

Which is why we always require a steel bonding inspection when applicable on all new construction.

 

[ICE]

She stared telling the applicates for a service that two ground bars are required.

I ask the permit techs to refrain from answering code questions. I encourage the use of handout materials for any given project. The one for service upgrades has the rods a minimum six feet apart. Of course the person that obtains the permit seldom also performs the actual installation. But hey now we tried to help them.

It makes a difference in how you tell them. 6' might not work. 6 ft. is a maybe. 6 feet is a sometimes. 6', ft, feet, pies--- increases the odds.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

Which is why we always require a steel bonding inspection when applicable on all new construction.

We do too, but It can't be verified later when it's buried. This is also the biggest failure for solar systems for us.