POL-5721.02 Processing of plan checks and building permits

Plan checks and building permits for Public Works projects is the responsibility of FM’s Planning, Design, and Construction Administration (PDCA).

The PDCA Project Designer will submit all required information to the appropriate authorities for plan checks. Purchasing of the building permits will be the responsibility of the successful low bidder on Public Works Projects.

The PDCA Project Designer will notify the estimator that a city plan check has been made when the project is sent to estimate, and the project is to be done by the FM Construction Division.

The FM Estimator will purchase the needed permits for projects other than Public Works or projects sent to PDCA. The estimator will notify the project manager that city plan checks have been made and inspections are required. The requirement to request and arrange for city inspections will be the responsibility of the FM Project Manager.

The Work Control Center (WCC) will initially screen Work Requests to determine if a permit is required and assess if the project is a Service Order, Project, or Task. The WCC will route all requests requiring a permit to PDCA.

The Project Designer will assist the WCC in preparing an initial funding memo to cover the cost of permits and preliminary Architect/Engineers’ work on the request. The Project Designer will send the preliminary scope of work memos, schedule and cost estimate to WCC. WCC will attach the funding memo to the preliminary scope of work, schedule and cost estimate, and send them to the Budget Authority and Contact Person. WCC will also send a copy of these same materials to the Scheduler.

After the internal reviews and the completion of corrections, the documents will be stamped by the required architect and/or engineer and submitted to the City of Bellingham’s Permitting Authority for Plan Review. The Project Designer shall put the project number in the title of the permit form and assure that the Permitting Authority will put that number in their system for invoicing. Other jurisdictions may require a purchase requisition form for the plan review fee and/or the permit fee, to be filled out by the Project Designer and signed by the Assistant Director for PDCA. 

During the Permitting Authority’s review process, the Project Designer may need to supply additional information, negotiate a revision, or update documents. The Project Designer will modify all documents being sent to the FM Estimator as required to reflect changes required by the Permitting Authority.

When notified by the Permitting Authority that the project permit documents are available, the Project Designer will pick up the permit documents and put them in the project folder for routing to WCC. The Permitting Authority will send the permit invoice to the Capital Budget Office (CBO). CBO will route the invoice to PDCA for payment authorization. 

Prior to the start of construction date, the WCC gives the project permit documents to the Renovation or Maintenance Manager and distributes the shop packages for the project. The permit documents are posted on the job site. The permit documents include the permit and the drawings with the Permitting Authority’s stamps.

During the course of construction and at final inspection by the Permitting Authorities, the construction Lead supervisor or designee shall call for Permitting Authority inspections of the project. The Project Designer, Renovation Manager and/or Maintenance Manager will be present during inspections unless delegated by mutual agreement.

During project closeout, the Shops will turn over all as-builts and permit documents to the Project Designer. PDCA will process and file the documents in the vault until archivable.