Paperwork tends to be a necessary evil these days, and too much of it can mean a lot of delays in your building project. In particular, the problem is usually about getting permits and official approval. But whatever your specific document needs, there are ways to make the process go a little quicker so you can break ground as soon as possible.
Whether you start off with professional construction surveying, or just have a handful of drawn diagrams, you can still make the process flow smoothly.
Research First
See what the limits and requirements are for your type of project before you begin. Developing your building plan based on the easiest way to get a permit can make everything go smoothly. If possible keep sizes small enough so that a permit isn’t necessary at all and eliminate the whole problem. If there are certain things that are prohibited (such as building near a local stream, for example) then you can avoid breaking these rules from the start to save having to deal with rejections and re-filings.
Know what papers you need also. Doing things a certain way is only half the issue. You need papers, forms, diagrams and estimates in many cases in order to complete the approval process. Having everything done and on paper right at the start will speed up the entire thing as the council officials don’t have to pause and ask for the next document.
Don’t Make Changes
Before you submit all your papers, go over everything twice and be confident that you are satisfied with your plans. If your permits are half-way through their processing, and you decide that you need to extend a deck by 2 feet or shift your shed over to the left, then you likely have to start all over again. The process usually doesn’t just continue with the change inserted. You have to begin at the first step again.
Be Polite
This is one of those tips that applies to any situation, especially one where you are trying to get permits approved. It can be a frustrating process but losing your temper at the council office will not help you. Be as accommodating as possible and respond to queries or requests as quickly as you can. Getting annoyed or being rude to staff won’t encourage anyone to move quickly on your behalf.
Avoid Completely
As we briefly mentioned in an earlier point, you can speed things up by removing the need for permits entirely. Talk to your council office and see what the limits are for your project and whether or not you can keep things under the radar enough that you can simply go ahead on your own.
For buildings, that usually means keeping the size down below a certain limit. Every region is different but a typical limit is no more than 120 square feet. Height may or may not matter. Make sure you’re not building too close to your property boundaries and don’t attach anything directly to your house.
With a little pre-planning, you may not need any approval and can just get started on your new project as soon as you wish.
