Quick Tips for Getting a Permit in Brookhaven GA or ANY city for that matter

[Todd Whiddon]

PERMITS

Yup... That dirty little word that can MAKE or BREAK a project timeline / budget! 

I know of many investors that have had their hopes, dreams, and BANK ACCOUNTS devastated by ineffective permitting processes.  I am one them.

But from the ashes of all the rejected plans and meetings with city officials, I have a pretty good system for getting permits with LESS revisions / comments and more importantly MUCH MUCH faster than I could a year or two ago.

Call it LUCK or SKILL.... but believe it or not, I actually got 2 building permits from the City of Atlanta "one of the TOUGHEST jurisdictions in GA" this week with NO REVISIONS requested by the city on our house plans!  I couldn't believe it myself!

Here's a few of the tricks I have up my sleeve....

CHECKLISTS

Before you begin the race..know where your FINISH line is!  Simple as it may seem, check out your cities website for forms and checklists that detail what they are looking for in their permitting process and submittal packages.  

Brookhaven Building Permit Checklist

In addition to the cities checklists, I have my own checklists that I have compiled from REJECTED plans, which probably helps me more than anything.  KEEP every plan and comment sheet you EVER receive so that you can refer back to them on future projects.  

1st time doing a project in a particular area?  Find someone who works their frequently, buy them beer, and have them go over the what you need to succeed!

HOW MANY CHECKLISTS!?!?!

Also don't be fooled into thinking there is just ONE checklist that your city has for a building or demo permit!  Some cities have just one department and one checklist... others like the City of Atlanta have MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS and MULTIPLE CHECKLISTS!!

• Building Department
• Zoning Department
• Site Development
• Arborist
• Storm Water
• Environmental
• Ect Ect Ect

Be sure to call or better yet set up an appointment with someone at the city or a PERMIT EXPEDITOR "someone who gets permits for a living" to go over exactly ALL the checklists and requirements you'll need to successfully get your permit.

Anyone else have any hints and tips for permit bliss?