Permit or pass?

[gnubler]

I sat here frozen in my chair last winter when I first opened my shop, afraid to do anything until I got business insurance. Luckily I didn't have to shop around.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Doesn't seem to be so streamlined here. No online forms, have to go pick up or be mailed triplicate forms filled out by hand. Need property owner consent in writing, property and building frontage linear feet, aerial shots of property and roadway, and mockups of each sign with building specs. I'm thinking of bumping up my fee to $200 minimum.

Guess we have it easy here. I've filed permits all over the country. MOST take about an hour... My local permits are 15 mins tops and that's not the easiest I've dealt with. Some offices are so small it's just one guy who doubles as animal control who you just e-mail and mail a check and he says OK. I did one last week that was pages and pages long... Included a sign permit, zoning permit, notarized signed letter from property owner, creating online account, contractor registration forms, insurance docs, electrician licenses, engineered drawings, site visits, measurements galore... oh and it's been denied TWICE and I've resubmitted a third time after numerus calls to the planning department.... still waiting on the outcome of that one. This one is NOT $175.

 

[Johnny Best]

I sat here frozen in my chair last winter when I first opened my shop, afraid to do anything until I got business insurance. Luckily I didn't have to shop around.

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Luckily permits are required only INSIDE city limits for us, outside just make sure where the property lines are and do not encroach.

Yes, we have and continue to lose jobs because of permits.
Still remember being yelled at and called a liar about permits. this was from another business and they were friends with the code officer.
While standing in the office they called the code officer, while on speaker, to set the records straight and prove we were trying to rip them off.
Once told that permits were required, they countered and said XXXXX installed without one, and so will I.
The code officer replied, thanks, I will issue a fine for XXXXX and if you install you will be fined 2x because you have been warned

NEVER EVER rely on verbal, EVERYTHING in writing, E-mail or Text.

offer your customers 2 price options
1. turnkey, you have a permit from whatever city
This will annoy and cause some customers to go elsewhere, especially when you start billing for everything required to pull a permit

2. product only, customer can install OR you already have the contact info of someone that can install

Around here (central IL), anything outside of city limits falls in the jurisdiction of the county. Some small towns also don’t handle permits, and it gets taken care of by the county.

 

[gnubler]

Looks like this topic was covered last year, just came across a similar thread: https://www.signs101.com/threads/installing-signs-without-a-permit.158916/#post-1477656