Private Provider Process

The entire permitting process can seem rather daunting to homeowners or specialty contractors that do not do this often. Some municipalities can be easy to work with, and some can be very difficult. Sands Engineering is here to help make this process go as smoothly as possible. New home or remodeling contractors that have been in business for a few years, and are familiar with the permitting process, will only notice a small difference in their typical permitting process. As the Private Provider for your project, you will have the same person performing the plan reviews and inspections.

The Private Provider’s role typically starts once an architect or builder has finished the plans for the house or remodeling project. The plans and associated calculations (trusses, HVAC) are sent to the Provider to review for compliance with the Building Code. Time to review will vary depending on the size and complexity of the project. Once the plans are reviewed and approved for compliance, the owner or builder will prepare the building permit application, and submit it with the approved plans, calculations, and required Private Provider forms. It is reasonable for the builder to submit the plans prior to them being approved by the Private Provider if there is a known issue with Zoning, Planning or other agency review that can take longer than the Provider review. Once the Building Department has finished their reviews, a building permit is issued and construction can commence.

During the construction phase, the owner or contractor will notify the Provider that the job is ready for a required inspection, and will request a date and time for that inspection. By Florida Statute, the Private Provider has to notify the building department of the jurisdiction the permit is in by no later than the previous business day at 2:00 PM. The Provider will perform the requested inspection(s), and sign off on the placard. The Provider then has two business days to provide the jurisdiction a written report stating which inspection(s) was performed and what the result of the inspection was. If any inspection fails, the Provider will notify the contractor and building department of the failure and relay what specifically needs correction. Once corrected, the Provider will notify the building department of the reinspection request and perform the reinspection. Upon completion and approval of all required inspections, the Provider will prepare and submit a Certificate of Completion to the building official. For new construction, a request for a Certificate of Occupancy is sent to the building official.

The use of a Private Provider will significantly reduce the time waiting on the jurisdiction to perform the inspection. The rapid turn-around time using Sands Engineering to perform your inspections and plan reviews represents a significant savings to owners and builders, and will most likely pay for itself.