Permit Research & Acquisition

Beginning a project without the necessary permits can lead to fines, stop-work orders, compromise to licenses, and the potential requirement to undo or redo work. It can also impact insurance claims.

Yes, prior to signing an agreement with Gable, we typically conduct initial permit research to determine whether a proposed solution is likely to be permitted in a given jurisdiction. However, we cannot guarantee total accuracy in our initial inquiries due to the varying degree to which each State, City, County, and Townships, interpret their own code, and also the disparity in how each Government entity maintains and distributes the code for public review and use. Obtaining Government issued Building Permits is one of the most complicated parts of any project.

The duration can vary based on the complexity of the project and the jurisdiction’s workload. It could be anywhere from a few days to several months or even longer for more involved projects.

Documentation required when applying for a permit typically includes: 

• Business license and federal tax ID 
• Scaled site plans showing property lines, buildings, and adjacent structures 
• Scaled drawings of the proposed work 
• Detailed installation and attachment methods 
• Property owner information and signed affidavit   
• Engineering plans if required by code

The cost to acquire a permit is a combination of two factors. The first is the labor of our team or agents to obtain the permits, and the second is the actual fees charged by each government agency that issued the permits. Labor includes the time to fill out all necessary applications, obtain notary and professional stamps, and deliver the permit package to the permit office for review and then to pick up the actual permits. The Fees charged by the Permit office for the permits themselves vary widely depending on location, type of work, and project size. Some direct permit fees can be a few hundred dollars for simple projects, while complex commercial projects may require permit fees in the thousands of dollars. The Gable estimating process provides as accurate a labor estimate as possible for obtaining the permits and detailed on our proposal. The actual fees charged by the jurisdiction are a pass through to you. We only charge you what we were charged. There is no mark up on this service.

Whether a project requires engineering typically depends on the requirements of the local jurisdiction where the work will be performed. In general, if there are any life safety concerns related to a structure’s ability to withstand expected loads and stresses, an engineered design stamped by a licensed professional engineer may be required by building codes. Any free-standing structure will require engineering.

No, you cannot skip the permitting process even if reusing existing structures. The permitting process may actually be more complicated in this case, as Gable would need to validate the existing foundation and supports are adequate for the new installation. Without existing engineered drawings stamped by the county, Gable may need to do testing such as ground-penetrating radar to confirm the existing structures match assumptions.

If your project requires working in an area like a sidewalk where there is pedestrian traffic, it may be considered in the public right-of-way. Projects in the right-of-way often require additional permits and fees to allow for things like temporarily closing off portions of the sidewalk for safety during installation work. It would be best to check with your local permitting office to determine if your specific project location is considered a right-of-way.