Obtaining a building permit in Washington DC can take around 5 months or more. For the last few years, various aspects like the thriving construction market, revised zoning code, and the implementation of Green building have created a difficult environment for the building owners and developers, who are not acquainted with the permit expediting the process in DC.
Whether it’s a building permitting need for hotels, offices, multi-families, or high-end residences, managing permit expedition is a vital part of every project’s success. So, you should pay heed to a few things while undergoing building permit expeditions in DC like the process of permitting, agencies involved in the permitting process, and permit review disciplines for involved agencies.
What is Building Permit?
Building permits are written authorizations issued by the county or a city for project construction. These are essential for new construction and remodeling, to ensure the safety of the building work and compliance with construction, and zoning codes. The primary aim of the commercial and residential building permits is to ensure safety.
Further, the building officials review applications and approve them once they’re satisfied with the project plans, calculations, and specifications, matching with local adaptations of relevant codes.
Types of Building Permit Services Washington, DC
Addition & Alteration
After Hours
Awning
Postcard
Capacity Placard
Demolition
Fence & Raze Permit
Foundation
Firework Stand
Historic
Retaining Wall
Scaffolding
Demolition
New Building
Foundation
Shed & Tent Permit
Sign & Garage Permit
Soil Boring
Tenant Layout
Swimming Pool
Underground Storage Tank
Tower Crane
Excavation
Scaffolding Permit
Why Do I need a Building Permit?
Construction activities of a project need building inspection to get approval from local building authorities like DCRA. Individual permits are essential for demolition, construction, and MEP work, as per the project scope and the jurisdiction like for instance:
- Adding and removing walls
- Modifying the room usage
- Changing the piping in your house
- Re-roofing house or demolishing a portion of the house
- Garage conversion
Benefits of Following Washington DC Building Permit Guidelines
| What are the Benefits? | What do Statistics say? | Why it Matters? |
| Minimized Processing Time | DCRA 2023 Report: Average wait time for commercial building permits – 54 days | Faster project completion, minimized delays, and cost savings. |
| Enhanced Approval Rate | DCRA 2023 Report: 85% approval rate for single-family home permits | Fewer revisions, less back-and-forth with DCRA, and smoother project progress. |
| Reduced Risk of Violations | DCRA Violation Data 2022: Construction accounted for 20% of total violations | Avoid fines, stop-work orders, and potential safety hazards. |
| Compliance with Building Codes | National Fire Protection Association: 1,430 civilian fire deaths and 5,795 injuries in 2021 | Ensures safety and structural integrity of the building, protecting occupants and reducing liability. |
| Streamlined Inspections | DCRA: Online scheduling available for most permits | Convenient scheduling, faster inspections, and quicker project progress. |
Which Documents are necessary for online Building Permits in DC?
The permitting process starts at the building construction department, where the officials accept your application and validate all essential documents. Usually, a permit application for new construction includes the following supporting documents:
- Site plan for building permit
- Demolition, Structural Engineering Drawings & Calculations
- Architectural Floor Plans & Building Elevations
- Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Drawings
- Technical Details regarding the Construction
- Compliance Forms & Disabilities Access
Building Permit Expediter Washington, DC
How Do I Get a Building Permit in Washington?
Want to know the process of getting a building permit? If you are applying for a construction permit in Washington DC, it should entail an online submittal to the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) for reviewing and approval from all relevant agencies.
Check out the steps of the building permit application process as per 2018 Mark G. Anderson Consultants Inc.
1. Take Preparation to meet the minimum requirements of DCRA permit:
- Submission of online application
- Payment of filing fees
- PRC record payment
- Sending of invitation to project document
- Uploading the plan of the applicant to the project document
- Reviews of the plan by PRC
- Acceptance of job by PRC
2.Planning Review Cycle:
- Assigning review disciplines by PRC
- The applicant referred to engage sister agency’s processes
- Sister agency review
- Review by DCRA disciplines
- Applicant notified of approval
- Residual fee submission
- Permit issuance
You need to spend time ensuring that your permit application and drawings are complete before submission, as multiple rounds of reviews are conducted by several agencies till your plan gets the required approvals. It is only after the review and approval of the relevant agencies, DCRA will issue your building permit.
Keep in mind that design changes pertaining to the issue of a building permit could lead to additional plan checks. In cases, where major design changes have been made, permitting process of the project, may need to be started from the beginning.
Agencies Involved in the Permit Processing Services
DCRA Permit – The primary agency involved in the permitting process is the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) for Washington DC. However, like other permitting agencies in other cities dealing with the issues of busy construction markets, DCRA faces the problems of limited resources corresponding to the processing workload. Considering the statistics of the past 5 years, the volume of the permit has grown above 30%.
However, the number of permit reviewers has not perceived a parallel increase. It is uncertain about how DCRA will overcome the challenges and move forward, though the agency has discovered varied options for streamlining their process like the commencement of new permitting programs.
Other Reviewing Agencies – Even if DCRA is the prime permit issuance agency, other agencies get engaged in the review process before the application reaches DCRA. Projects requiring reviews from additional agencies include new building additions, excavation, restaurant and historic district locales.
Usually, a building permit gets issued once a project meets all the standard requirements of a relevant discipline, though there is currently no central tracking system to consolidate updates from involved agencies.
Permit Review disciplines as per Permit STAT for involved Agencies:
- DCRA (Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs) – Primary permit issuance agency for structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, green building, energy & zoning
- DDOT (District Department of Transportation) – Reviews building projects affecting public spaces like roadways, sidewalks, trees, public parking & public space
- DOEE (Department of Energy & Environment) – Reviews building plans with environmental components like stormwater management, lead-based paint, water quality, air quality, asbestos abatement & hazardous material
- DOH (Department of Health) – Regulates building quality & safety for healthcare & food establishment facilities including hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes, outpatient rehab facilities, restaurants, grocery stores, wholesale markets, hotels & swimming pools
- DC Water – Reviews construction projects touching DC’s water & sewer systems, ensuring that the projects meet design criteria, handling capacity of change, performing inspection for assuring work quality & assessing inspection fees & work orders for every project
- Office of Planning – Reviews construction projects in historic districts, onsite of historic landmarks & use of public space and directs the historic preservation of review board to oversee & designate historic properties
A unique aspect to consider in Washington DC is the association of the US Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), which oversees both the public and the private projects involving alterations to external architectural features, elevation, look, color and texture of the materials of construction visible from public spaces.
The CFA works along with the Historic Preservation Office (HPO) & the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) for ensuring the preservation of historic character in all Federal & District of Columbia government projects and 2 designated neighborhoods – Georgetown Historic District & Shipstead-Luce Area.
A project with external adjustments meeting these criteria needs to get reviewed by the CFA, HPO, and the HPRB.
What is the Cost of Permit Expediting Services?
The commercial building inspection cost, as well as the residential building inspection cost, varies to a great extent on the basis of the project types and volumes. Prices also vary according to the size of commercial property inspection companies. A small and medium-size company will usually charge less compared to a big building inspection agency.
Let’s take a look at the prices of various permit expediting service providers:
Approximate Cost of Construction Permit Expeditor
| Average national cost – $560 |
| Range of average cost for building permit expediter – $480 – $610 |
| The minimum cost of DCRA permit expediter – $259 |
| The maximum cost of Maryland permit expediter – $1100 |
Permit Cost by Project Range
| Low Cost – $259 – Repairing permit for a task less than 500 sq. ft. |
| Average Cost – $570 – Addition permit for a job |
| High Cost – $1100 – Permit Services for a new construction over 1500 sq. ft. |
Cost of the Different Types of Building Permits
| Building Occupation at $37 |
| Demolition at $210 |
| Modification & Repair at $210 – $515 as per project scope of work |
| Swimming Pool Creation at $280 |
| New Construction – $1100 – $2100 |
Building Permit Expediter Washington, DC
How can we help?
Are you navigating through the building guidelines to Permit process in Washington DC? Do you consider it to be challenging and difficult? Want to know the right cost to enclose a carport?
Where to get the best ‘building permit expediter near me’? How to get in touch with a competent ‘building inspector near me’?
Experienced permit expediting companies like Tejjy Inc. can help you to navigate the process, defining a realistic schedule for the construction project, leveraging relationships with relevant agencies. By appointing an expert design-build team of Tejjy Inc. you can reduce the risk of errors and shorten the revision cycle that an application has to endure. Our dedicated team furnishes accurate code-compliant drawings and building specifications.
Further Reading
Building Permit Inspection Checklist
Residential Vs Commercial Building Permits
How To Vet A Building Permit Expeditor In Dc?
How To Get Online Building Construction Permit In Dc?
Do You Need A Permit To Paint Outside Your House?
Excavation Checklist For Obtaining Soe Permit
