What Is Involved in the Building Approval Process When Building a Commercial Building?
Instead of purchasing an existing commercial building to operate your business out of, you might have decided that you want to have a commercial building built — according to your design and specifications, of course — from the ground up. Before the building can start, you will need to get approval from the city or other entity that might have jurisdiction in the area where you are having your commercial building constructed.
Additionally, you will probably need to have inspections and approvals along the way. You might be a bit nervous about the building approval process, but knowing a little more about it can help you feel better prepared and less nervous. These are some of the things that you should expect to be involved in the building approval process.
Submitting Documentation
First of all, you should know that in order to get approval for your commercial building project, you are probably going to need to submit documentation. You might need to provide proof that you own or are leasing the land that you are building on, for example, and you might need to provide a copy of your land survey. You will almost certainly need to submit your building plans and blueprints, too.
Filling Out an Application
At the time that you submit your building plans and other documentation, you will probably be required to fill out an application. It might ask questions about your building plan, the type of business that you are going to be operating, and more. Make sure that you fill out the application thoroughly and accurately.
Waiting for an Answer
Unfortunately, you might not get an answer right away. It could take days or even weeks for you to get your answer, so make sure that you submit all of your documentation as soon as possible to avoid delays in the approval or building process.
Making Changes
Hopefully, your commercial building plans will be approved the first time around so that you don't have to worry about making any changes. However, it is possible that you will not get approval for your current plan the first time around. What you should do next will depend on the rules and regulations that you have to abide by and the problems that have been noted about your current plan.
For example, there might be an appeals process so that you can try to get your plan approved as-is, or you might need to make minor changes to your building plan in order to get it approved. Someone from the building approvals office should be able to provide you with some guidance and tell you a little more about what your options are and what your next steps should be.