Developers, contractors and homeowners can now apply for and manage their Little Rock building permits online, thanks to a portal the city's Planning and Development Department has opened to the public this week.
Applicants can access the portal at https://permitpayment.littlerock.gov/ips_PD/Views/Login.aspx.
Creating an account enables users to submit building applications and plans, view and edit pending applications, submit additional details or revise an application, pay for permits, and request and view the status of inspections.
Little Rock Planning Director Jamie Collins said it will be a paper-saving and time-saving change, since applicants won't have to follow up via phone or make the trip downtown.
"Not that we don't like to see everybody; we do," he said.
Until the system went live for the public on Monday, those seeking permits had to drop off their plans in the form of a printout, disc or flash drive at the department's office on West Markham Street, Collins said.
The department would then mail the applicant comments from reviews by departments and agencies, such as the Public Works Department or the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority. Applicants could follow up themselves with questions.
With the new system, the comments will be loaded online, and applicants can be notified about inspections immediately via email. Building permits issued since 2010 were already viewable online at https://data.littlerock.gov/browse?tags=building+permits.
It'll also be helpful for out-of-state developers working on Little Rock projects, he added.
The department will continue processing and scanning paper applications for the next six months and accept online applications only after that.
"From that point forward, it's all going to be electronic," Collins said.
The move to an online permitting process has been in the works since 2017. Most people who apply for building permits are contractors or developers, but individual homeowners are also required to submit applications for certain projects.
Little Rock follows municipalities including Kansas City, Mo., and Dallas in moving to an online permit process. The Northwest Arkansas city of Bentonville allows people to apply for and track permits online as well.
The city opened up the portal to some contractors who regularly submit permits in late January. Feedback has been positive, Collins said, though learning a new system can initially add time to the process.
"It takes a little effort on our end upfront, but it takes less time in the long run," he said.
Randy Foshee, director of the city's Information Technology Department, said other city departments are working to streamline their work by bringing it online as well. The city brought its bidding process online in 2018.
"Over the last several years, we've tried to work toward streamlining as many things as possible," he said.
Metro on 03/05/2019