What’s Your Biggest Challenge with Building Permits?

Question

I’m curious to hear from investors here what’s the biggest challenge you face when getting building permits approved? Is it understanding the code, submitting drawings, or dealing with city officials?

I work with investors to help make this process smoother, so I’d love to tailor some tips based on your experiences.

Luka Milicevic · Answer

As mentioned above, depends on the county/city.

Davidson county - Nashville for example it's not really hard to get permits for a standard single fam house. It's not necessarily "easy" but not very difficult.

Go down the street to Williamson county and they want your ancestral history going back to Adam and Eve.

Rick Albert · Answer

This is really hard to answer because every area is completely different. What's happening in Nashville is going to be different than Los Angeles and be different than New York.

I think it is understanding codes and fees. For example if you build an ADU larger than 750 square feet in Los Angeles, it triggers more fees from the City. Things like this would be good to know ahead of time so that investors can plan accordingly. Also things like requiring solar panels, rain barrels, etc. People just don't know until its too late.

Dealing with the city is really the job of the contractor/project manager.

James Mc Ree · Answer

I suspect doing work without a permit and getting caught will top your list. I wouldn't know anything about that.

My biggest complaint is the excessive cost. Here is a real example of replacing the electric service wire from the electric company to the meter.- $110 For 5 minute rental inspection that results in issue to replace the electric service line.

- Electrician quotes $900.

- Municipality permit is $75. "Good news", they say: "An inspection is included!"

- Electrician says another electrician needs to inspect the work as per the permit. $60 More.

- Municipality says another $60 is needed for a re-inspection due to the failed inspection. This inspection is just a building inspector drive-by. The inspector is not an electrician and might not even get out of his car.

Municipal cost: $195 on top of $900 job.

I objected to the $65 re-inspection charge and they waived it. The rationale was the original electrician is licensed in the municipality, his #2 electrician is also licensed there and the municipality's contracted electrician (#3) is also licenses there. Inspection #4, the building inspector with no specific electrical skill who is just driving by was absurd to pay for. The municipal person got my making a joke of the process as I explained this and waived it. Not all municipalities may waive it, but there does seem to be some human flexibility sometimes.

Aisha Umar · Answer

Wow, I totally hear your frustration that’s a perfect example of how permitting can feel more like a maze than a system. It’s wild how many layers and costs get added for a straightforward job like that.

Honestly, I work with clients all the time who just want clear, efficient help navigating this process especially when the inspections and re-inspections start stacking up. Some municipalities really test your patience!

If you ever need support streamlining the permitting side or just want a second set of eyes on a project, happy to help however I can. Sometimes just knowing who to talk to can save you both time and money.