Although the city of San Antonio’s Development Services Department helps business owners coordinate building development, permitting issues can arise often, particularly when you might not be experienced. Most project managers realize the benefit of a permit expeditor, particularly for a multi-site rollout or upgrade, and the hours they can save on additional paperwork, research, and data gathering. Whether your project is as simple as a renovation, or you are constructing a new building on untouched property, a permit expediter can help.
With both a national reach and local expertise that extends to city of San Antonio building codes and permits, Scout Services can help you take the pain out of permitting. The approval process can take longer for commercial and industrial projects — learn more about how our local guides can help you stay on track.
How Do You Get a Construction Permit in San Antonio?
While it is the property owner’s responsibility to make sure a building permit is obtained prior to construction, San Antonio building permits may be applied for by a contractor, engineer, or architect, on behalf of the owner. The permitting process includes verification of the proposed project zoning, scheduling a Preliminary Plan Review, offering construction drawings, obtaining the right permits, scheduling inspections, and finalizing your project.
The golden rule of applications is to read the fine print. Without doing so, it is easy to overlook key information. Learn more about the San Antonio building permit application process or reach out to our team directly to avoid the hassle.
What is Required for a Building Permit in San Antonio?
1. The first step in the San Antonio permitting process is to verify that the zoning district allows for commercial use. To check your property’s zoning, review the City’s One Stop Zoning Map and keep a few of the design regulations in your back pocket.
2. Schedule a preliminary plan review by contacting development services. Bring your site plans and be ready to cover topics ranging from zoning to historic preservation, health, accessibility, electrical, plumbing, traffic, irrigation, and fire and storm readiness. Now is the best opportunity to obtain answers to the city of San Antonio building codes and fire code requirements and the permitting process. If you need additional support on the city of San Antonio building codes, review their guide.
3. To apply, create an online portal account with the BuildSA ACA Customer Portal by following a few instructions. Select the type of commercial project application, choose how you’d like to upload your files and determine the permits you are applying for. The most important documents are the Construction Plans for the scope of work, submitted as a PDF. For an in-depth guide, review the San Antonio commercial permitting checklist and intake process.
4. Once your plan review fees are paid, your site plan will be examined. The city of San Antonio organizes plan reviews based on the type and complexity of the project. Reviews can occur as soon as the same day, or take as long as 30 calendar days, all depending on whether you are requesting a permit on the Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm system or are constructing a school.
5. If your commercial building plan requires corrections, it will need to be re-submitted. Otherwise, following inspections and utility release, you will be ready to receive a Certificate of Occupancy, required for all San Antonio buildings.
Options for Expediting Your San Antonio Building Permit
The city of San Antonio understands that time is one of our most valuable assets and offers a number of ways to expedite your permit application — from After Hour Plan reviews to Partial Permits, Fast Track Permits, and Phased Permitting. Determine whether it is better to request a plan examiner outside of normal hours, obtain a partial permit to start construction, allow contractors to start work with a Fast Track Permit, or divide your construction project into phases.
Stay on Track with Your Commercial Construction Project Today
You may be surprised to know that permitting codes and regulations vary from city to city. This makes permitting mistakes easy to make, and especially costly and time-consuming for growing organizations. Fortunately, Scout Services has a database with over 7,000 municipalities and their requirements. Our permit specialists work directly with the city of San Antonio to ensure proper permit application compliance upon submission.
Rather than spend hours navigating between San Antonio building departments, online submittals, research, and paperwork, save time and money with a permit guide. Partnering with a permit expediter will help you avoid mistakes in your San Antonio submittals that can cause costly delays.
If you’re taking on a project and don’t know where to start, Scout Services can provide you with the permit help you need. No matter how complex your project is, learn how our permitting services can get your project back on track today.
