Imagine a world where even first-time customers understand your permitting process, you spend the majority of your time reviewing plans (not answering questions or asking for revisions), and you don’t have to switch back and forth between disconnected systems to complete different tasks.
Sounds great, right?
It may seem hard to do, but with the right tools, technology, and processes in place, it’s possible (and easier to achieve than you think).
Here’s how:
You probably have a portal that makes it easy for customers to submit their permit applications online. But – as you well know – the hard part for customers isn’t uploading documents; it’s understanding what rules and regulations apply to their project, what steps need to be completed in what order, and whether or not a project or business is allowed in that specific location in the first place.
What customers really need is guidance on how to apply for their permit, which a Permit Guide can provide.
Rather than logging on to your portal, seeing a bit of information, and immediately being directed to submit documents, applicants are first asked a few questions about their project (like location, submission type, valuation, etc.), which permit guides like the Camino Guide use to generate a summary of need-to-know information and a personalized set of instructions for them to follow – all in a few minutes or less.
Essentially, a permit guide serves as an online permitting assistant whose only job is to help your customers understand the permitting process. And it can provide serious benefits.
Whether you have an existing permitting system or not, a permit guide can help you:
Watch this webinar to see how the Camino Guide works, and how it helped the City of Santa Clarita eliminate customer confusion.
While we’ve mostly moved away from piles of paper plans on desks, we’re now in a digital age where you’re expected to do more with the same resources or less. It’s not enough to just make your processes digital – you need extensive data and analytics to run an efficient plan review and permitting machine.
If you’re in the market to buy permit software, look for solutions like Clariti that allow you to use your real-time data to monitor and improve your team’s performance.
With access to your data, it’s easier to stay organized. You can more easily distribute workloads, prioritize projects you know will take longer (based on information like who the contractor is), and adjust workloads to make sure you’re getting to high-priority projects first.
If you don’t already do this, a good way to make sure your team isn’t missing deadlines is to build a prioritization list. It’s fairly straightforward.
Step 1: Look at your existing backlogs and determine by permit type how many plans are in the queue and how long they’ve been there.
Step 2: Set aside a specific day or time each week to review your “quick checks” or simplest permit types. Maybe you decide that on Friday mornings from 9-12 your plans examiners review decks, small additions, and ADUs. Or, you could even make it that plans examiners assigned to your front counter review certain plans on the spot so they never enter the queue in the first place.
Also, if your jurisdiction has planned communities where the same houses are built over and over again, think about setting up a “Basic Plan” program if you haven’t already. This lets builders apply for a structural plan review once, and if approved, use that same plan over and over for multiple structures in the same development. It’s a huge time saver for plans examiners and still ensures full code compliance in the field.
Check out Snohomish County’s Basic Plan process for inspiration if you’re thinking of implementing a similar program.
To speed up your review and approval process, you should integrate your permitting and electronic review systems.
It may seem simple, but it’s one of the best ways to improve the customer and staff experience.
Why? Because there’s one source of truth for all plan review and permitting-related activities and information, making it easier to collaborate and communicate.
Check with your vendor about integrating your systems, and if you have the option, opt for permitting systems like Clariti that offer managed electronic plan review integrations.
Clariti’s permitting software seamlessly integrates with ProjectDox, Bluebeam, and ePlanSoft so you can complete all permitting and plan review steps in one place.
AI’s had a meteoric rise. And although government adoption is trailing behind the private sector (as is always the case), it’s a good idea to prepare and start thinking about your AI strategy.
A good place to start is with your organizational priorities. Once you have a clear picture of these, it’s easier to identify potential use cases for AI within your department. Look closely at individual roles, processes, and tasks, focusing on areas where AI could make the most significant impact. Pay particular attention to your team’s biggest problems and pain points —these are often the areas where AI can provide the most value.
We’ve already seen permitting and planning departments jump to adopt Archistar’s AI-driven eCheck tool, which uses artificial intelligence to review project designs against local codes and regulations and instantly provide pass-or-fail feedback to applicants. It not only helps prevent submission errors, but can reduce processing time by up to 90%.
Interested in learning more about Clariti's permitting software and managed electronic plan review integrations? Reach out to our team.
