How many Permits Tech?

[Steph]

I was wondering how many Permit Techs do you have in your Building department? Do you guys have a Permit Coordinator distribute the work evenly to each Permit Tech? I'm just wondering how everyone's office flow is and maybe get some ideas to add to our office.
Here in my California office, we have 3 Permit Techs and 1 Permit Coordinator.
Work isn't distributed to us unless customers submit through our online portal but other than that it's whoever helps the customer first.

 

[tdugan]

We have two full time permit techs. Work comes in via email or over the counter, and since we do not have a coordinator, it's whoever gets to the work first.
I'm curious about your permit coordinator - do they process any permits themselves, or is their sole job to basically look out for the permits techs?

 

[Jeff]

We have 3 Permit Tech I's and 3 Permit Tech II's a Permit Supervisor and an Admin Clerk. The Tech I's answer phones, respond to emails work the permit counter and process online applications. The Permit Tech II's generate permits from completed plan checks and also work the counter. The Permit Supervisor distributes the workload to the Permit Tech II's, and is responsible for the operations of our permitting staff. The Admin Clerk is responsible for all our records, filing, answering phones and responding to records requests that come to us via the City Clerk.

 

[Bobby McClanahan]

I am the only Permit Tech in our office and do everything except plans review. I also assist the City Planner with planning applications.

 

[Emily C]

I am the only permit tech. Our department has 4 people total - our building official is also our building plans examiner, inspector, and fire marshal. We have an associate planner who does planning review, and a senior planner who is shifting into long range planning and Comp Plan stuff. I handle all intake and issuance of plans and permits.

 

[Eric]

I am the only permit tech. Our department has 4 people total - our building official is also our building plans examiner, inspector, and fire marshal. We have an associate planner who does planning review, and a senior planner who is shifting into long range planning and Comp Plan stuff. I handle all intake and issuance of plans and permits.

I think I'd enjoy being part of a smaller permitting office like that. Fewer people means everyone has a greater sense of ownership over the program as a whole, I would think.

I'm just wondering how everyone's office flow is and maybe get some ideas to add to our office.

I'm one of ~35 regulators in Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. We have Regulatory Assistants who route new applications received via email/online portal to our Chiefs, who then distribute to their staff. However, consultants do often submit applications directly to individual regulators, usually because of an existing working relationship between the consultant and regulator they're submitting to. Our regulators usually just go ahead and process applications received this way, and notify their Chiefs of the new workload they're taking on.

I don't have any problem with consultants and regulators leveraging existing relationships like this, though I can see how quality of review probably isn't 100% equitable when some applicants have these relationships and others don't.

 

[Emily C]

I think I'd enjoy being part of a smaller permitting office like that. Fewer people means everyone has a greater sense of ownership over the program as a whole, I would think.

It has its perks, but it is also stressful when there are a lot of land use projects in or building permits in. I'm constantly working on educating people on timelines and things like that.

 

[permittech2]

I am the only permit tech in my office and do mostly everything but plan review. I agree with your sentiment about it being stressful. I often wish we had a second permit tech. It's especially difficult as I feel that I cannot take time off since a lot of the permitting process relies on me, and when I am gone, I have no one to cover for me. I usually return from time off to angry contractors and stacks of applications (we still use the old paper and file method) and a laundry list of emails and voicemails to comb through. One thing I do like is that I don't have other hands in the pot, and since I am the only one doing this, I know exactly where things are and where I am in the permitting process, without having anyone mess anything up.

 

[Kimberly L]

We have 2 permit techs and one specialist in our office. The specialist does mostly commercial, but all are crossed trained. We are completely electronic for review, so we work out of a general email box. Counter customers are shared.

 

[Debbie R]

It has its perks, but it is also stressful when there are a lot of land use projects in or building permits in. I'm constantly working on educating people on timelines and things like that.

I feel the same way. I am the only Permit Tech and am also the Administration Department's front desk clerk. I get ALL walkins and most phone calls as well as all permitting work. Our Building Official does the plan review and all inspections, fairly often also covering for other counties who have only one inspector as well. My head is usually spinning and he is not in the office much so cannot really help. I am also often working with Community Development since our work often overlaps. Recently I was also told that I will be taking on another role as a fill in for a totally unrelated department that just happens to be in our building. There is talk of turning my job into a Permit Tech II position since I am topped out in salary. The joys of living and working in rural America just outside of a small city.
How many s's are actually in the word STRESSSSSS? Sorry, I'll hop off my "horse" now.

 

[tdugan]

I feel the same way. I am the only Permit Tech and am also the Administration Department's front desk clerk. I get ALL walkins and most phone calls as well as all permitting work. Our Building Official does the plan review and all inspections, fairly often also covering for other counties who have only one inspector as well. My head is usually spinning and he is not in the office much so cannot really help. I am also often working with Community Development since our work often overlaps. Recently I was also told that I will be taking on another role as a fill in for a totally unrelated department that just happens to be in our building. There is talk of turning my job into a Permit Tech II position since I am topped out in salary. The joys of living and working in rural America just outside of a small city.
How many s's are actually in the word STRESSSSSS? Sorry, I'll hop off my "horse" now.

WHEW, Debbie, you have A LOT on your plate!! Definitely advocate for becoming a Tech II and getting a pay bump, since you are working outside of your original job description. I am a Tech II now and I am just that, a permit tech. But in your case, maybe they can create an office coordinator/senior position instead since you handle so much for Administration and Community Development. Hang in there, and God bless!!

 

[tdugan]

I am the only permit tech in my office and do mostly everything but plan review. I agree with your sentiment about it being stressful. I often wish we had a second permit tech. It's especially difficult as I feel that I cannot take time off since a lot of the permitting process relies on me, and when I am gone, I have no one to cover for me. I usually return from time off to angry contractors and stacks of applications (we still use the old paper and file method) and a laundry list of emails and voicemails to comb through. One thing I do like is that I don't have other hands in the pot, and since I am the only one doing this, I know exactly where things are and where I am in the permitting process, without having anyone mess anything up.

I feel your sentiments. I am one of two permit techs, but if I were not, I know I would feel just as stressed as you do if I tried to take time off. Have you tried asking leadership about opening up a new position?

 

[permittech2]

I feel your sentiments. I am one of two permit techs, but if I were not, I know I would feel just as stressed as you do if I tried to take time off. Have you tried asking leadership about opening up a new position?

I have, but our department director lives in his own world and has told me another position is just not necessary. He unfortunately, does not quite know the scope of my work and what I do, as he rarely takes the time to check in or sit down to analyze my workflow. I've spoken up about it a handful of times now, with no avail.

 

[tdugan]

I have, but our department director lives in his own world and has told me another position is just not necessary. He unfortunately, does not quite know the scope of my work and what I do, as he rarely takes the time to check in or sit down to analyze my workflow. I've spoken up about it a handful of times now, with no avail.

Unfortunately, that is the case sometimes, when leadership is just not aware of what is truly going on. I'm sorry you've got this going on! Hang in there!

 

[Karah]

I was wondering how many Permit Techs do you have in your Building department? Do you guys have a Permit Coordinator distribute the work evenly to each Permit Tech? I'm just wondering how everyone's office flow is and maybe get some ideas to add to our office.
Here in my California office, we have 3 Permit Techs and 1 Permit Coordinator.
Work isn't distributed to us unless customers submit through our online portal but other than that it's whoever helps the customer first.

I am the only permit tech in my office, but we are such a small city that we really don't need more than one. I do have a Code admin that helps with like power releases and CO's for me to take some of the tasks off my list.