Contractors Take Advantage of Brevard County’s 24/7 Online Permit Application System

By  //  April 29, 2016

Nearly 40 percent obtained permits online

Nearly 40 percent of the contractors who changed out air-conditioners, re-roofed homes and resurfaced pools last week in Brevard County obtained their permits online, and without having to leave their homes or businesses. (Shutterstock image)
Nearly 40 percent of the contractors who changed out air-conditioners, re-roofed homes and resurfaced pools last week in Brevard County obtained their permits online, and without having to leave their homes or businesses. (Shutterstock image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Nearly 40 percent of the contractors who changed out air-conditioners, re-roofed homes and resurfaced pools last week in Brevard County obtained their permits online, and without having to leave their homes or businesses.

An online permit application system was implemented earlier this year by Brevard County Government’s Planning and Development Department. This month, the program was expanded to include permits for residential demolition, generators, pools and fences.

The county is also taking aggressive steps to invite the hundreds of general and fence contractors who do business in the county to register for the online permit applications service called BASS – Brevard’s Advanced Service Site. So far, 180 contractors are currently taking advantage of the online service.

“In January, we weren’t doing any permits online, and now about 40 percent of the highest volume permits coming in are online. That’s pretty significant,” said Tad Calkins, assistant director of Planning and Development.

Calkins said the online permit system initially is focusing on high-volume permits, but additional expansions are planned to address other contract permit needs. The online system is intended to speed up the application and permitting process. In 2015, there were 16,470 building permits issued by Brevard County Government’s Planning and Development Department. Calkins said roughly 7,000 of those permits issued last year by hand can now be obtained online.

“That 40 percent of the high-volume permits are now being issued online means our staff is now freed up to attend to other customer needs,” Calkins said.

BASS allows customers to submit permit applications 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Once a customer logs on to BASS, registers and creates a password, the service site will guide the customer through the permit application process, provide application status updates, allow online payment and allow the customer to download permits and other approved documents.

On line payments are averaging 20 percent of the total number of payments received. Registered users can pay their permit fees online for any building permit.

With the addition of these applications, Brevard County Planning & Development is implementing an Electronic Document Review process.

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This entails electronic customer submission, county review and approval of application documents. Customers will be able to access approved plans as well as their permits online using BASS The intent is to speed up the application and permitting process while making it easier for the customer.

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