Should You Pull Your Own Permit?

Here you are, the end of the road. You’ve gone through the process; the long nights of due diligence, the countless meetings with the city, the painful ups and downs of submitting your permit. But it is finally time, your permit has been approved! Now just one question remains: Should I pull my own permit? You may wish to pull your own permit for a number of reasons: to save money, your contractor is not licensed or is being paid under the table, they may not be certified to do the work, etc. However, for many reasons that we will …

Dec 27, 2019 By Bridget Foley

A Permit Expediter’s Guide to Austin, TX

Austin, Texas: a place you can find amazing barbeque, fantastic live bands, and a notoriously complicated permitting process. In 2015, Zucker Systems issued a report detailing Austin’s weaknesses in their planning and building department. They go into detail the exorbitantly high costs and wait time that Austin business owners must suffer through just to receive a building permit. For a commercial project, it is estimated that time to complete zoning and permitting could be 12 to 14 months. This puts a large strain, both in time and money, on potential businesses delayed in opening. While Austin has tried to offer …

Nov 7, 2019 By Bridget Foley

Private Clubs: A Growing Trend

“The people who run Los Angeles belongs to The Jonathan Club; the people who own Los Angeles belong to The California Club.” Members-Only clubs have always been prominent in Los Angeles. The California Club, the second-oldest club in Southern California has been around since 1888. These exclusive groups bring in the wealthiest and most powerful people that Los Angeles has to offer. People pay extravagant fees to belong to such clubs – if they can pass the intensive interviews and background checks first. Since The California Club, the trend of private clubs has only grown. More and more associations open …

Aug 23, 2019 By Bridget Foley

A Brief Guide to Restroom Compliances

Think of The White House, The Eiffel Tower, and The Museum of Modern Art. What do all of these buildings have in common? They all have restrooms. Restrooms are a staple of any building and, in most cases, a requirement. With this, comes regulations and building codes from the Government to make sure all citizens can access your restroom safely. These guidelines fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Having a restroom that is inaccessible to a person with a disability is an act of …

Jul 23, 2019 By Bridget Foley