Tip one:
One of the best things that you can know is what questions you should ask about your building permits. Many times if you just ask the right questions you can get your building permits released faster if there are actual problems. The reason for this is that not every problem that the plan checker spots is big enough to slow down the entire process and you can often address the problem after construction has already been done. But keep in mind that this won't always work because some things need to be handled before the permits can be released.

Tip two:
Many times your documents do get lost at the agency having jurisdiction. It is not at all uncommon. The problem arises when the applicant does not stay in contact with the reviewers of each department to make sure they have all the submittal requirements. Make sure to check on a weekly basis after the first 2-3 weeks to make sure your project is working through the process without any roadblocks.

Tip three:
If you are applying for any kind of building permit in the United States then you should know about some things that you will need to have before you should even think about applying for your building permit. You must have these four requirements ready before you even try to apply for a building permit in any jurisdictions in the United States. The four items are: assessor tax parcel number, full legal description, site plan drawn to scale, and a good estimate of the cost of the proposed construction.

Tip four:
If you submit an application to a building department and it has not been approved within 180 days from the time of submittal, you could lose your application fees. Chapter one in all three model building codes calls for voiding of the permit application after 180 days. It also allows for forfeiture of the application fees and in some cases requires a resubmittal of new documents and payment of a new review fee. The codes do allow for a one time extension of 90-180 days. So to prevent this from happening you want to stay on top of the permit process to ensure that everything is going according to plan.

Tip five:
You want the permit review process to go as quickly as possible. Delays in the permit approval can cost thousands of dollars. The secret is to use a permitting consultant who already knows the process. They know the right questions to ask to clear up the confusion that always exist at a lot of building departments.

Just keep in mind that these are only some of the tips and tricks that you need to know about getting building permits smoothly.