Technology & Government Building Permitting in 2022

Heading into 2022, government building departments face a number of challenges in dealing with increasing permit volumes while often under-resourced, under-funded, and under-supported. Most critically, without the right building permitting solution in place to support staff, departments face mounting backlogs, low employee retention, and issues dealing with the frequent process changes required of modern building departments (think changes or updates to permit requirements, fee adjustments, or any edits to work streams). Summed up, looking ahead to 2022, most departments - especially those not supported by highly-configurable building permit software - face challenges in dealing with:

1. Increasing citizen and contractor demands for digital self-service
2. Rising permit volumes due in part to rising need for affordable housing
3. Rapid changes in building codes 
4. Expanding technology use and knowledge into the building department
5. Finding solutions to stand the test of time

Here we dig into these 5 trends/challenges, and where technology fits in.

Trend 1: Increasing citizen and contractor demands for digital self-service

Even for late technology adopters, or those that were previously hesitant to participate in online services if they were available, the pandemic accelerated a shift to more widespread acceptance and adoption of digital services - even in the public sector. In 2021, citizens accessing digital services increased 18% over 2020, and now, heading into 2022, 67% of adults say that they prefer accessing services online. Digital-first services are what people expect, and building permitting is no different. Citizens, builders, developers, and contractors want an easy way to access the services they need online, from wherever they are. That’s where technology comes in.

With permit software like Clariti Enterprise and Launch, everything an applicant needs to manage their permit application online is easily accessible through an online portal. Accessed through any government website, applicants can apply and pay for a permit, and check the status of their application from any device. 

Trend 2: Rising permit volumes due in part to increased demand for affordable housing

Throughout the U.S. and Canada, housing prices continue to soar, putting immense pressure on building departments to make improvements to often lengthy and complex permit approval processes. And it’s not just local building departments that are feeling the pressure - housing affordability remains a top priority for governments at the federal, state, and provincial levels. In the U.S., the Build Back Better Bill, if passed, would see $150 billion pumped partly into the rapid construction of affordable housing, causing a sharp spike in building permit demand. Similarly, in Canada, multiple levels of government are looking to new builds to help curb the rapid rise in housing prices, and at accelerating building as a way to provide more affordable housing. In today’s housing market, it’s more important than ever for governments to invest in technology that can support staff, and facilitate quicker turnaround times.

Ultimately, a large part of being efficient comes down to data quality and availability, and the ability for departments to effectively allocate resources to current demands, and plan ahead for the future. With manual, siloed systems, information can sometimes be stored in multiple different places, in multiple different formats, slowing down workflows and making it difficult for stakeholders to access the information they need. Or it can be lost altogether. Alternatively, with Clariti's permitting software, all information - including historical land and permit records - is stored in one system that’s easily accessible for all stakeholders. Both Clariti Enterprise and Launch offer comprehensive reporting capabilities that allow departments to take advantage of their data. And with Enterprise's limitless dashboards, its easy to view data in a digestible way.

Clariti Enterprise analytics

Trend 3: Rapid changes in building codes

With climate change comes more and more building code updates to protect public safety, emphasizing the importance of having a flexible building permitting system in place to easily pivot to meet new requirements. Whether it’s retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient, or rebuilding homes post-disaster, it’s essential that building departments be able to adjust requirements easily when necessary without interruptions to service, and that they are able to access the data they need, when they need it.

Trend 4: Expanding technology use and knowledge into the building department

Is tele-everything the ‘new-normal’? Even in the public sector? If a recent survey of 915 government experts is any indicator, it absolutely is; and adoption of technology in government is only going to continue increasing at a rapid rate, even in building departments. That’s why ensuring staff - even those that are less tech-savvy - are empowered to easily manage daily maintenance of new technology. Typical on-premise and manual systems often require complicated updates and IT support to fix even the smallest issue, or make even the smallest update, making these systems unsustainable. But with Clariti Enterprise and Launch, updates don’t require code or support from IT - staff can make changes with clicks.

This ability to easily make updates enables more autonomy for staff in their day-to-day operations, so Chief Building Officials can limit staff turnover and improve recruiting results. Overall, promoting a technology-first work environment will better align operations to the expectations of the next wave of public sector employees.

Trend 5: Finding solutions to stand the test of time

As shown in 2020 when many governments were forced to shift to remote operations within a matter of days, finding resilient, long-term solutions that are adaptable to sudden change is critical to success. Especially given building permitting's critical role in local economies, it’s essential that these services are able to continue in times of uncertainty. Processes and systems need to be scalable to ensure that as circumstances change and building permit demand grows, organizations are able to adapt quickly, and effortlessly meet service needs. Essentially, governments need future-proof solutions that can meet their service needs for decades to come. Something that on-premise solutions can’t offer.

With Clariti’s configurable community development solutions for governments of all sizes, however, all it takes is clicks to make adjustments, so your system will evolve with your department's demands.