Electronic Permit Plan Submittals (July, 2007)
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Today, I spent $200 for 4 copies of plans, to apply for permit. Seems to be a waste of paper... Is anyone on this Sketchucation Forum in a jurisdiction where electronic plan submittal has been implemented? Any thoughts about whether it is a good or bad process?
The value of higher education: gives you the ability to yell...without raising your voice.
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rhankc and James,
In Indiana (USA) the state has had centralized review of plans for many years. All of it was paper which as you can imagine would be and was resoundingly a bottleneck. A large project might take months to review. As of about five years ago the state started an all electronic submission and review. The drawings are submitted as a PDF or DWF in a single file along with specifications and a copy of the state design release form. They review the submision and e-mail an acknowledgement of receipt along with a project file number and the calculated review fee. You send a check with a copy of the form or you can use a charge card to pay the fee. They promise and usually keep their word on a ten working day turnover. Once the design release is approved by the state, you can apply for the actual building permit through the local city or town building department. Any comments the state has about the plans are on the design release form. Usually the state does not require a re-submission unless you really have some major issues. They leave it to the architect and local building officials to comply with the small stuff. Really quite quick painless overall.
In Florida, they have started electronic stamping but their system is very cumbersom and I prefere to send paper (they still require an embossed stamp on each sheet- very primitive).
Bottom line - I am licensed and work in 8 states and I pray for the relief of electronic stamping and submissions - (as long as they don't make it a IT nighmare as Florida has).
In what areas are you guys practicing?
Jim Smith
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I work all over... and some have used electronic. but I deliver all my plans to my clients in PDF format...
as architects we kill too many trees already...
I also converted my last commercial construction company, to bidding through the internet, e-mail and PDF plans... saved about $90,000 per year in bidding... I asked why I didn't get any of that money? they said it didn't work like that... I told them it should.
Kristoff Rand
http://www.aboveallhouseplans.com
-Unique Custom Home Design- -
Kris,
I agree 100% on the ease of bidding using PDF's. Most all of the contractors we work with here in the midwest, California and Florida all have local repro houses that gladly provide plan house services. The clients all have Acrobat reader and would rather not have rolls of paper cluttering their offices as well.
Jim Smith
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yeah it's a huge cost for subs... and general contractors... although I found a lot of resistance to it... I had to explain the capabilities to highlight areas on the plans with in acrobat and make notes...
but the biggest selling factor was the savings...
Kristoff Rand
http://www.aboveallhouseplans.com
-Unique Custom Home Design- -
We are in Colorado, and are starting to use an outside plan review entity which then notifies the building dept that requirements are addressed. I have applied for 3 permits in two jurisdictions in the the past 2 weeks. Neither were willing to accept my plans as pdf, yet.
On another project I am having docs sent to bidders and starting the entire process again: The large format becomes difficult for the subs if they are electronic. When i first started on cad I used 11x17 for a few projects with OK results, I am considering reinventing this format for the simple reason of pdf the drawings to subs, and letting them use their own printers to print up drawings. Of course there would always be the official version on approved paper, and a set of plans at 11x17 would could end up being 100 pages, but it would be easy to distribute, and copy. Gov't entities could do the same, store the files electronically and print when needed. But they too have their acceptable format.
I think I made my last blue print this week, that old machine sure takes my breath away.
The value of higher education: gives you the ability to yell...without raising your voice.
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@unknownuser said:
Here in London we have a similar system in place now through a planning portal. We can get most forms by email and send documentation in either PDF or DXF to local councils who are participating. It has helped speed things up and streamlined the system a little bit.
Agreed James. Its also happening up here and saves so much time and money (the latter being especially useful when working on small extensions outside of the office!)
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@unknownuser said:
Here in London we have a similar system in place now through a planning portal. We can get most forms by email and send documentation in either PDF or DXF to local councils who are participating. It has helped speed things up and streamlined the system a little bit.
until you get a phone call a week down the line asking for paper copies becuase the Council plotter is broken!!! (i joke not)
The only benefit to the architect is a saving in paper and ink. The Council prints off 6 copies when they receive them anyway. In the words of most planners "i can't work from PDFs, i like to see hard copies".
I've found the whole process of the planning portal to be completely above and beyond the comprehension of most LAs
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