BUILD A BOND Carp says that she’s been the only one from her company who has submitted permit applications over the last five years. That’s an advantage, she says, and not just because she’s familiar with the vagaries of the various township policies. Noting that a majority of the people she deals with at the building departments are women, she makes a point to ask them about their kids, grandkids, and other aspects of their lives. “Personal relationships are big,” Carp says.
While it’s important not to take this idea too far — “You have to be careful not to cross the line between professional friendship and friendship,” says Mark Dressler, co-owner of D&W Development, in Willimantic, Conn. — establishing a strong working relationship with plan reviewers is generally a good idea. Sara Schwiesow, a designer at Harrell Remodeling, in Mountain View, Calif., agrees. “Our attitude is that the planner is our friend,” she says. “We treat them like people.”
Leo Smith, of Leo Smith Architects, in Seattle, says that when he’s at the permit office, he often sees contractors “storming in with a chip on their shoulders.” That used to be him, he says, until he realized that many of the reviewers thought a lot of the rules were as silly as he did — but it was their job to follow them. “Now I treat them as friends, not adversaries,” he says, and it’s paid off. “They remember who you are,” he continues. “I’ve had them expedite projects for me.”
It’s inevitable that you’ll have a disagreement with a plan reviewer sooner or later, and that is a situation that needs to be handled delicately. Terry Ackley, president of Ackley Group, in Lawndale, Calif., says that he’s found the best approach is to politely ask the reviewer to show him where in the code it states that something must be done a certain way. “This is far better than attempting to tell the inspector he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Ackley says. “They’re usually quite apologetic when the code proves them wrong instead of me.”
MAKE AN IMPRESSION The same thing that earns you a solid reputation in your community, and the referral business that comes with it — performing quality, professional work with honesty and integrity — will also earn you a bit of leeway with the building department. “Even the toughest inspectors become softer on contractors who are consistently trying to do the right thing, who are focused on excellence, and who are not intentionally avoiding paying for permits,” says Vince Hee, sales manager at Russell Roofing, in Oreland, Pa.
Finally, be realistic in your expectations. The permitting process, like everything else in life, is subject to Murphy’s Law. “I always make sure to bring a good book or a magazine with me,” Smith says, noting that he is also careful to leave plenty of time in his schedule for delays at the permit office. “I’m not giving myself an ulcer if I have to wait in line a little longer,” he says.