Commercial building permits and the project review process

The goal of the city's building services department is to provide excellent customer service by working with citizens and their design teams to ensure a timely construction start and successful project completion.

The building services department provides commercial plan review to ensure that all municipal codes are met. Pre-existing buildings are reviewed for compliance with the adopted, existing building code, which assists owners, designers, and the department in achieving accepted levels of compliance for the protection of occupants, adjacent structures, and accessibility (in areas where full compliance with the building code for new construction may be difficult to attain).

In most instances, applying for a commercial building permit will trigger the scheduling of a project review, which is a free service offered to help applicants prepare a complete application submittal, may be scheduled at any time for most proposed projects, prior to a property purchase, or for tenant improvement. It also streamlines the plan review process. The project review provides an opportunity to meet all city departments represented in the plan review process. Staff will review the submitted materials, provide written comments, provide an estimate of any projected fees, and identify issues or concerns that may exist which assist the owner with construction budgeting.

How do citizens schedule a project review? Once the project review application and checklist are completed, applicants turn them in with the site plan and proposed floor plan electronically as a Portable Document Format, on a disk, at the Customer Service Center. When the submittal has been accepted, a date will be set for the project review meeting, which gives staff five days to review it. Forms are available at http://building.cdaid.org.

Topics of a project review - Among the requirements typically discussed in a project review meeting are: Building Code; provisions for persons with disabilities (accessibility); Compliance review of sidewalks, approaches, etc., when the construction valuation exceeds $30,000 (for pre-existing buildings); fire code; water service backflow protection; Water connection and hook-up fees; sewer cap fee & rate review (compared against preceding permitted activity); roadway and parking lot improvements; sign permits; impact fees; stormwater and site drainage; zoning compliance and use; parking, landscaping, and design guidelines.

A project review is required prior to permit submittal for all commercial projects except when: (1) There is only painting, carpet, other decorative items that are not permanently attached to the walls, or non-fixed and moveable fixtures, cases, racks, counters, and interior walls not over 5-feet, 9-inches in height; (2) There is no change in use, occupancy, or occupant load; or (3) There is no increase in a previously permitted restaurant's seating.

Note: A building permit is required for: (1) A change in use or occupancy. This could apply to a new business moving into an existing building or space where no construction is proposed or required; (2) Non-structural work. This would include construction of fixed interior walls over 5-feet, 9-inches in height, fixtures, cases, racks, bathroom remodels, tenant improvements, etc.

If you have any questions regarding whether or not a building permit is needed or about our processes, please contact the Building Services Department, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (208) 769-2267, or visit our website at www.cdaid.org.