Jason Somers on Permit Expeditors in Los Angeles

Posted on March 29, 2021May 31, 2021 by Jason Somers

Before you start a construction project of any kind, it’s important that you prepare for the project to ensure that mistakes and issues during development are kept to a minimum. Whether you are performing a sizable home renovation or are getting ready to start development on a commercial building, you will be tasked with applying for the proper building permits. These permits give you the authority you require to begin construction without issue. Without a permit in hand, any progress that you make on your project could be reversed. Heavy fines could also be levied.

The permitting process itself can take upwards of 2-8 weeks depending on the complexity of the project. During this time, you will be unable to perform any construction on your site, which is why it’s highly recommended that you retain the services of a permit expeditor. A permit expeditor can be an entire firm or a single individual who is able to expedite the permitting process. What this means for you is that you won’t need to wait as long to begin construction after first applying for a permit. Keep in mind that there are many small issues that can cause the permitting process to take longer than you might expect. A reputable and experienced expeditor will be able to resolve all of these issues to make sure that you receive any necessary permits in a timely manner.

Permit expeditors know every permit-issuing entity that’s involved in the permitting process, which means that they can use their connections to speed up this process. The main goal that any permit expeditor has is to handle the permitting process for you so that you can focus on every other facet of your development project. While permit expeditors are advantageous for every kind of development project, they are particularly beneficial for large-scale projects. With larger projects, the permitting process could take a couple of months to complete, which is why a permit expeditor is practically essential. This article goes into detail about the role that permit expeditors have in the construction process and why you should hire one before sending in your application.

Why You Might Need A Permit Expeditor

There are many reasons why a permit expeditor may be necessary for your construction project. If you want to begin construction as quickly as possible, you likely don’t have time to wait a month or more for your building permit application to be approved. Permit expeditors help to speed this process up, which should allow you to get started on construction sooner than you had imagined. Keep in mind that permit expeditors also have the expertise necessary to advise you on such topics as ADA compliance, entitlements, and the plan-check process. Their knowledge can be invaluable towards making sure that costly mistakes are minimized throughout a development project.

As mentioned previously, the main goal that a permit expeditor has is to handle every facet of the permitting process so that you can focus on other aspects of your development project. Their desire is to ensure that your permit application is approved at a more rapid pace than it otherwise would be without the assistance of an expeditor. The day-to-day tasks that are performed by a permit expeditor include:

• Coordinating with clients, building officials, and plan reviewers
• Analyzing the proposed project materials to ascertain if they accommodate jurisdiction requirements
• Conducting extensive research on codes, planning, and zoning
• Meeting with various city officials in order to complete any pre-submittal reviews that are necessary
• Making sure that the entire process is expedited
• Reviewing every construction drawing to make sure that they meet the jurisdiction requirements

Benefits of Permit Expeditors from Jason Somers

Hiring a permit expeditor for your development project is beneficial for a number of reasons. The top benefits that come with making this hire include:

• Permit expeditors have extensive local knowledge that can prove to be invaluable towards making sure that your permit is approved quickly
• They can perform most of the repetitive and mundane tasks for you, which include researching local regulations, handling paperwork, and collecting any pertinent data
• The waiting period for approval of your permit application should be shorter
• They can handle the entirety of the permitting process, which gives you time to manage the rest of your development project
• A permit expeditor will make sure that your application adheres to local laws and regulations
• They will perform the necessary research for you
• They will identify the correct city officials and building departments that will determine if your permit application is approved
• They can notarize documents when necessary
• They can correct any revision requests with your application
• Communication with the local building departments will be streamlined

The main benefit that comes with hiring a permit expeditor is that they can mitigate any setbacks that occur, which ensures that the permitting process is naturally sped up. If you don’t hire an expeditor for this process, any setbacks or issues that are flagged during the permitting process could take a long time to be resolved, which only serves to delay the start date for your development project.

Experts like Crest Real Estate can help make the entire permitting process go smoother, which should make it easier for you to remain on schedule. Keep in mind that the permitting process can take longer depending on the location for the construction project. While the process for obtaining a building permit in Los Angeles is relatively straightforward and can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks to be completed, this process could take a long time if a large number of permit applications are currently being reviewed. Permit expeditors understand how to bypass these issues to make sure that your permit gets back to you without delay.

The Best Time to Hire a Permit Expediter

If you’re wondering what the best time is to hire a permit expeditor, the ideal time to do so would be before the project manager spends hours and days researching all there is to know about the permitting process. A permit expeditor understands all of the paperwork that needs to be submitted with your application and knows how to deftly navigate the different requirements for a permit.

An expeditor can also advise you on different aspects of construction. For instance, they could help you understand more about your budget and how to stay under it. One thing that they might tell you is that the time of the year can determine if you’re able to stay under budget. During the cold winter months and hot summer months, any extreme weather conditions can cause delays to construction, which will add to your total project costs. Spring is considered to be the optimal season for construction projects. This also happens to be the busiest time of the year for construction.

Over the past decade, the demand for permit expeditors has increased significantly with each passing year. From 2013-2014, the total number of jobs that were filed for a permit expeditor increased by more than 14 percent. If you hire a permit expeditor at the beginning of your project, you should be able to avoid the headaches that can occur when attempting to manage the permitting process without assistance. Experts like Jason Somers say that permit expeditors are essential towards making sure that a project is completed on schedule and under budget.

Final Thoughts from Jason Somers on Permit Expediting

Permit expeditors are key towards streamlining the permitting process for your construction project. Whether you didn’t provide the right documentation or need to correct some problems in your proposed building plans, permit expeditors have the expertise and knowledge needed to review any issues and correct them before they cause significant delays. With a permit expeditor by your side, you should be able to start development on a more timely schedule.

Because expeditors have comprehensive knowledge of local regulations and strong relationships with city officials, you can be more confident that your building permit will be approved in a relatively short period of time. Keep in mind that permit expeditors are able to coordinate with building officials, review your building plans, and provide advice on various aspects of your project. These experts can handle every component of the permitting process for you, which should save an ample amount of time and money.

As mentioned previously, the permitting process can be a lengthy and time-consuming one without having a permit expeditor by your side. When problems are flagged, you would need to resolve them on your own, which can be difficult if you don’t understand why these problems occurred in the first place. Hiring a permit expeditor from Crest Real Estate is beneficial because they know what it takes to get a permit application approved for any kind of construction project.