Raising Cane’s Limits Damage From AHJ Communication Challenges

Permit Place recently teamed up with Raising Cane’s to undertake a new building project for their 3,224 square foot restaurant in Palmdale, CA. Our team was tasked with handling multiple facets related to permit approval for this ground-up drive-thru restaurant development. 

The scope included securing Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire, and Health permits critical to the project’s commencement and eventual operational readiness.

Challenges

Our project faced significant hurdles primarily due to a communication breakdown between the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and their 3rd party reviewer. These complications were exacerbated by the use of an ineffective online portal, which strained the permit application and tracking process. 

These issues threatened to derail the timeline, posing a real challenge to meeting the critical deadlines.

Solutions and Strategies

To navigate these complexities, our team implemented a strategic, proactive approach. We relied heavily on our Due Diligence process, which was crucial in identifying principal project contacts and understanding specific requirements crucial for submissions—including formatting, naming conventions, applicable fees, and essential departmental interactions. This advanced groundwork ensured that we remained prepared despite the external challenges.

By enhancing communication and implementing systematic follow-ups, we ensured that all stakeholders were continuously aligned, thereby mitigating the impacts of the AHJ’s and 3rd party reviewer’s miscommunications.

Project Wins

Despite an estimated permit approval turnaround of 24 weeks, the actual process extended to 29 weeks. Nevertheless, our vigilant management and preemptive strategies prevented any additional delays related to permit acquisitions, as affirmed by our team’s ability to stay ahead and effectively manage the process even amidst external discrepancies. Our efforts ensured that the project did not incur delays stemming from permitting hurdles.

The successful execution of permitting for Raising Cane’s new restaurant in Palmdale underscores Permit Place’s capability to handle complex, multi-permit projects under challenging circumstances. Our ability to exceed expectations even against unforeseen adversities reaffirms our role as a leader in permit expediting services.