Let’s just take a moment and face the unfortunate truth – as City budgets have plummeted, full-time City staff has been cut and un-replaced. Despite this drop in City staff, developments have increased – and so need building permits. The US Census Bureau recently reported that permits for February 2015 are 3.0 percent (±1.7%) above the revised January rate of 1,060,000 building permits issued and 7.7 percent (±2.0%) above the February 2014 estimate of 1,014,000 building permits issued.
This is a common scenario in the Permitting World. Before picking up the phone and calling City Hall asking what permit you may need – save yourself and City officials some time, and conduct (even a little) online due diligence. Google is a powerful search tool that can sometimes help guide you through even the most convoluted City websites.
If you are unfamiliar with the process and aren’t sure where to start, here are three key items that you need on hand to help ensure that you get the proper information.
Location Matters for Due Diligence
Know the address AND assessor’s parcel number for your project site. It’s important to know both because sometimes the address may apply to multiple tenants or businesses. Once you know the location, double-check what jurisdiction it may be in – sometimes an address that states a City name may be located within the County’s jurisdiction. Once you know the jurisdiction, confirm what the Zoning may be – based on a site’s Zoning, What you propose might not even qualify for a permit by right.
Google search tip: Search for an interactive map to help confirm the jurisdiction – ie. “Riverside County Interactive Map”.
Detailed, Yet Concise Scope of Work
First, know what is existing – was this former tenant space? Is it a vacant property? Secondly, what are you doing? Are you converting an empty tenant space into a restaurant? If this is a vacant lot, is there grading and paving involved? Based on the magnitude of the work that needs to be done, you may need more – or hopefully, fewer permits than you think.
Google search tip: Search for permits directly relative to work that you will conduct, such as “City of Riverside Grading Permit”, “City of Riverside Sign Permit”, or “City of Riverside Tenant Improvement Permit”.
Square Footage of Work and Valuation
Most major City fees rely on either the square footage of work that will do the valuation of the overall
Google search tip: When you do not have a valuation ready or are unsure of the exact square footage, try searching for a Fee Schedule to help you estimate how much each permit may cost when it becomes available.
Once you’ve done your due diligence and found what you can online, ALWAYS contact the City to confirm. They will appreciate the time you took to find the answers yourself. When in doubt – contact the professionals at Permit Place to guide you and take away your permitting worries!