County moves toward electronic building permits

EPHRATA — The Grant County Planning Department is beginning the long work of being able to accept building permits in electronic format.

However, it will be some time before the county will be ready to actually receive building permits electronically.

Planning Director Damien Hooper told county commissioners Tuesday that the county hopes to eventually speed up the building permit process. Currently, however, the county is training workers and is hoping to find a contractor willing to work with the county’s new software.

“This isn’t going to happen overnight,” Hooper said. “We made an investment in the software, and we want to roll it out in a way that it’s successful.”

“And not the anvil hung around our neck as we swim in the lake,” Hooper added.

The county is using Revu, a complex and highly customized PDF markup tool designed by Pasadena-based Bluebeam specifically for architects, appraisers, engineers, contractors and building owners. Hooper said the software cost the county around $8,000.

When implemented, it would make the county planning office the first agency in Grant County to accept, review and approve electronic building permits.

“We’re scrambling to make it happen as fast as we can,” Hooper said. “It will expedite permits and allow for electronic uploads and downloads.”

Currently, Hooper said the county planning department is only considering reviewing and processing electronic building permits for single family homes, and needs to find contractors willing and able to handle digital-only designs and documents.

“A lot of younger builders are telling us ‘everything’s electronic,’” said Commissioner Cindy Carter.

Hooper said that while the planning department will train its employee, and teach contractors how to use the system, current paper permits under review will not be allowed to suffer.

According to Commissioner Richard Stevens, Grant County received 114 building permits in August, the most in 14 years.

Hooper also said that even when the county starts accepting electronic building permits for single family homes, permits for wells and septic tanks will still need to be filed on paper, since the Grant County Health District, and not the planning office, is responsible for reviewing and approving those.

He’s also hopeful eventually all permits can be filed, reviewed and approved electronically.

“Right now, it’s building permits. Eventually, everything,” Hooper said.