The City of Tallahassee is speeding up the process for granting home-building permits. City officials announced their plans Thursday for a faster permitting process while highlighting new homes being built in the Southwood neighborhood.
Starting on Monday, the city will aim to approve all residential building-permit applications within seven days instead of the previous 12. Shane Lambert, of the Tallahassee Builders Association, applauded the change.
“If I can’t get a job done for my customer on time, it’s bad for my business and it’s bad for my client. It is a wonderful thing to know that our city has taken the same approach and has put a self-imposed deadline with a money-back guarantee for its end of the business," he said.
The city will refund application fees if it doesn’t grant a permit, or explain why it can’t, within seven days. The city also promises to approve amended applications within five additional days.
Officials say they hope the move will help grow jobs in the construction industry, which has suffered following the recession.