According to Bizjournals.com, The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs issues over 50,000 building permits every year, but the process isn’t exactly cut and dry.
Thanks to a variety of checks-and-balances, hundreds of sheets worth of paperwork, and agency bureaucracy wait times and the process, in general, were just getting to be too much.
The same article states that help is being offered in a variety of ways, “Online appointments are available for assistance with permitting, licensing, and records requests, including with the Office of the Surveyor. At this time, online scheduling is limited to one pending appointment per person.”
In addition to these services, the DCRA has also added a program called “deck guide, which provides step-by-step instructions to help homeowners and contractors prepare a deck-related application, with special attention on areas such as zoning requirements and relevant construction codes.”
As an engineering or contracting professional, what do you think of these changes? Do you like how technology is being used to benefit surveyors and licensees or do you think that bringing the process online presents challenges?
Since the program is brand new it will be a while before any real data is gathered, but it definitely gives us a view of where things are probably headed. Technology is always marching forward, and it’s always fascinating to see where it will infiltrate and evolve next.
