The permitting process in South Florida can feel like a necessary evil in order to keep your development project moving. The building departments here have a reputation for being s-l-o-w with permit approvals, and it’s not necessarily a surprise given the thousands of applications they must process each year. There are only so many hours in a day and the pace of development continues to outrun the city’s capacity to keep up.

We get it, we do, but that means we should do everything we can to expedite the process for our clients. As a local contractor that has extensive experience navigating the different rules, regulations and requirements of each of the 98 municipalities in the collective Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, we understand how confusing and frustrating it can be for those who are not familiar with the local area, process and timeline. Below we offer some tips to make your next permit run less painful.

Power Up Your Permit Process with These Tips

• Hire a third-party provider – The State of Florida allows approved private providers to act as the city and review plans just as the city would do. If you have an opportunity to use a third-party permit provider, do it. Yes, it will cost more money, but it will save you so much time.

• Get an expedited plan review – Another option to consider is to apply for an expedited plan review. These are for commercial projects greater than 20,000 square feet. The process for expedited plan reviews takes place outside the city’s normal business hours and comes with an additional fee.

• Avoid errors in your documentation – There’s nothing worse than waiting, waiting, waiting for your permit only to get your application rejected because it contains errors or is missing supporting documentation. Don’t give the permitting committee a single reason to delay your application! Be organized, be accurate and make sure everything is accounted for.

Seacoast Construction has extensive experience navigating the permit process across South Florida. Permitting and processing permits is part of our pre-construction coordination services. If you need help with any stage of the permitting process, including being rescued from permitting peril, call us at 786-433-8740.