While we don't do expediting for other architects, we have turned this necessary evil into a profit center for us. We tell our clients on the front end that all permitting assistance and/or entitlements (Read: variances) is T&M.

For the most part, in the area surrounding Chicago, each small town has their own building code and submittal guidelines. We are finding that our "permitting assistance" fee is about equal to our design fee. After tracking it for three years we have found that it does take about the same amount of time.

My advice is to revisit your client agreement and bill for your "experience in navigating the minutia of the bureaucratic hell that is the permitting system."

BTW: re refuse to work in Chicago proper b/c even though the time suck int the burbs is bad, it is five times worse in the city.

wow, same amount of time on permitting as design? either you're very fast designers or you're facing serious bureaucratic hell out there.

I really like your idea about including the permitting process as T&M. Especially makes sense if we're talking about client-driven variances.

Ideally though if I have enough work, I'd prefer to outsource permitting to someone more knowledgeable and focus more of my energy on design.

What we find is that the project manager, needs to go personally. It never works well having another go. You are better hiring a secretary to answer phones at $10. hr. and billing $140/ hour for your trip(s) to the village.

There have been many times where the plan reviewer needed to be shown where in the code your exception lies.

Furthermore, deals are sometimes made at the planner's desk (Density, sprinkler requirements, general tenor of the board, off the record comments ect. ) which only can be done if the decision maker (or his agent / you) are there. A lower echelon person tends to create more of a time suck.

Thanks dsc,
you've addressed one of my concerns. An expeditor may know his way around town hall but how can he be expected to know a project well enough to answer questions that may arise?
I guess what I really may be looking for is someone who knows a jurisdiction very well (I've heard of former bldg dept employees becoming private sector consultants) who can guide me through the process and prevent me from wasting my time and the clients' money. Many towns don't even provide you with a process timeline or drawing checklist so you end up navigating the process blind and wasting hours of time in the process.

Go directly to the village planner or EDC director. That is their job to assist you in those matters.

I thought you were looking to have some one else go to the meeting on your behalf.

Try designing with compliance, LOL!

Form-based and smart-growth zoning exists for a reason... you get rubber stamp approval if you follow the prescription.

Really, how hard is this? Or is it still cool to fight the system but complain about costs and taxes?

bureaucratic redtape, planning & approvals, permit processes, etc are exactly the kind of work that architects should be embracing. if we were smart then we'd probably even be asking for more of it, not less

think of yourself as a highly specialized lawyer especially trained for submitting these documents & cajoling the necessary approvals out of the admins...and, of course, charge accordingly. it's a business opportunity and if architects don't take charge of it, then i wouldn't be surprised if some enterprising lawyers eventually do.

I was meeting a new client yesterday and he was discussing his project team for development. he was very happy to be paying $175 per hour for either the CE or architect to present his projects to the village board. It was far cheaper than the $375.00 for an atty. he really smiled when i said we were only $150 per hour. Note I raised my fees after posting above. We are worth the money.

$150/ hr for getting permitting through aint a bad deal especially when you guys are the ones also handling the drawings. I'm sure that's worth the money rather than having a project play ping pong btw various consultants which could ending costing lot more.

How long did it take before you were able to charge those fees? Has this led into any development opportunities?

Or if you were to tack on some pro forma and market analysis services you could bill yrself as a development consultant.

puddles- I agree that it's a great business opportunity but if I wanted to be a highly specialized lawyer, I would have gone to law school. I've been thinking about ways to make my job something I really love and for me, that means spending as much of my time designing as possible. If the majority of my time were spent dealing with the building department and design review boards, I don't think I would wake up excited to go to work anymore.
If on the other hand, I find myself needing the extra work and money (which I'm sure I will often) then I will definitely embrace that part of the process. Or if I ever grow beyond a sole proprietorship, I'm sure I will do that sort of work in house. I think I see your point though- if we architects give away that part of our job description then we risk marginalizing ourselves even further.

Orochi- I don't think anyone is arguing against the need for zoning laws. I just worry it becomes a full time job learning the laws and procedures of all of the various jurisdictions and like I said above, that's not the part of the job that excites me.

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