New Announcement- City of Doral Building Department Workshop
Permitting In Doral Workshop
The Building Department is offering a free one (1) hour workshop to prospective building permit applicants, homeowners, contractors, design professionals, and anyone who wishes to learn more about permitting in the City of Doral.
Workshop will include: Permitting System Updates, New Available Services, Future Goals and Objectives, and Customer Feedback.
Join us at -
Location:
City of Doral Government Center
8401 NW 53rd Terrace
3rd Floor, Training Room
Date:
Friday, May 10, 2013
Time:
3:30 - 4:30 PM
Limited Space - RSVP by Thursday, May 9, 2013. Building Department 305-593-6700, Ext. 3110 or E-mail
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.
Old Posts:
The Building Department now has a new online permitting system. Effective Monday, April 1, 2013, by accessing the ePermitting tab, you will be able to schedule online inspections, view permit history, and other additional information.
In order to schedule online inspections, you will be asked to enter a Valid Number. The number can be obtained by using the last four characters of your permit number for applications submitted prior to April 1, 2013. Permits issued as of April 1, 2013 will be issued a Valid Number when the Permit Card is printed.
In the coming weeks, the Department will be finalizing our data validation for the transition of this new permitting system; as such, should you need complete permit historical data (e.g. Open/Expired Permits or Records Request), please visit our website under Forms and select the applicable form or contact our Records Section at
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. This will ensure that you have the most complete historical permit information.
Also NEW!
Due to the increase in permitting processing needs, the following changes are taking place as of April 15, 2013:
* Walk-Thru hours are Monday-Thursday, excluding legal holidays, from 7:00 - 9:00 a.m.
* Plans Drop-Off hours are Monday-Friday, excluding legal holidays, from 7:00 - 1:00 p.m. (Sign-In List will be closed at 1:00 p.m.)
* A limit of 5 Walk-Thru permit applications allowed per project.
*Walk-Thru Criteria List is available.
*Permit Applications must be complete and contractors active and registered with the City of Doral before meeting with Permit Clerk for processing.
Lead Hazard Information
National Electrical Code Change
Fire Review Has Come to Doral
Florida Building Code Change
Outdoor Events
Early Start Permitting
Fire/DERM Concurrent Plan Reviews
Digitized Plan Reviews
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes in the United States until this practice was banned for residential use in 1978. The usage of lead in paint, gasoline, water pipes, and many other products was very common until it was discovered how harmful lead was to human beings. Lead comes primarily from deteriorating lead-based paint and lead-contaminated soil. Common renovations to a home that include sanding, grinding, cutting, demolishing, burning, or blasting can create hazardous lead dust and chips for homes built before 1978.
Airborne lead enters the human body when an individual breathes or swallows lead particles or dust after it has settled. Lead in the human body can pose many dangers to the brain, the central nervous system, blood cells, and kidneys. Because of these serious health hazards, it is important to reduce or eliminate contact with lead as much as possible.
Renovating, Repairing, and Painting Practices – It’s the Law!
Beginning April 2010, federal law will require contractors that perform renovations, repairs, paint, or disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, or schools built before 1978 to provide information about lead to the owners. Most importantly, the contractor will need to be certified and follow specific work practices to minimize lead dust and prevent lead contamination. Please click on the links below for more information from the Environmental Protection Agency about lead.
• Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools
• Lead Safety During Renovation (Important Information for Contractors)
For more information about the health effects of exposure to lead, how to check your family and home for lead, lead-safe work practices, and more, please visit the EPA lead website at www.epa.gov/lead or call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).
NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE CHANGE
The 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) went into effect October 1, 2009. This code includes the latest rules for electrical installations in residential, commercial, and industrial occupancies. Keep in mind that the new code will have a significant impact on job costs.
Permit applications submitted before this date will be reviewed under the 2005 NEC if the application remains active. Expired applications and applications submitted on or after this date will need to comply with the new code.
FIRE REVIEW HAS COME TO DORAL
The City of Doral Building Department has partnered up with the Miami-Dade Fire Department to bring fire plan reviews to Doral. Certain projects within the City that require fire approval may be taken for review to the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Headquarters, Fire Prevention Division located at 9300 N.W. 41st Street, Miami, Florida 33178. Reviews will only be performed on Wednesdays from 8:00 am through 12:00 pm.
Reviews are limited only to Life Safety submittals that meet the following criteria:
• New Construction/Addition under 50,000 sq. ft.
• Interior Alteration/Repair work under $100,000 in construction valuation
• Kitchen Hoods
• Spray Booths
• Walk-In Coolers
• Minor Life Safety Revisions (4 pages or less)
For projects that qualify, customers will no longer need to travel to the west Dade center. Customers are responsible for paying the up-front fee at the time of submittal (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express may be used as form of payment). If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Fire Prevention Division at (786) 331-4800.
Plans that do not meet the requirements above and/or are submitted at other times must be taken to the Herbert S. Saffir Permitting and Inspection Center located at 11805 S.W. 26th Street (Coral Way), Miami, Florida 33175. For more information regarding fire review, please contact the Fire Department at (786) 315-2000.
Please be aware that before submitting any drawings to the Fire Department (or any other agency), the plans must first be submitted to the City of Doral Building Department. All plans must be perforated and stamped at the municipality where the proposed work is to take place. For information about requirements for permit submittal, please click on the Permit Information heading (on the left) or contact the Building Department at (305) 593-6700.
The 2007 Florida Building Code (FBC) went into effect March 1, 2009. Permit applications (or process numbers) that have been submitted to the Building Department prior to this date will not be affected by the new code provided that they are not allowed to expire. These applications will be reviewed under the 2004 Florida Building Code – the code that is in effect at the time of application submittal. Applications submitted on or after March 1, 2009 will need to comply with the new code. In addition, any expired permits that are renewed on or after this date will also need to comply with the new code. To view a draft copy of the new code online, please visit the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Code sets are currently available for purchase from the Building Officials Association of Florida and the International Code Council.
For Applicants…
Please monitor your applications to ensure they do not expire. In accordance with Section 105.3.2 of the Florida Building Code, a permit application expires 180 days after the filing date, unless a permit is issued. If the application is about to expire and the applicant is still in the process of obtaining approvals, he/she may request an extension of time in writing. An additional 90 days may be granted upon review of the request, but only if the request has been received by our department before the application expires.
Expired Applications
Applications submitted to the Building Department before March 1, 2009 that become expired, but have all required trade approvals (building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, zoning, fire, DERM, etc.) prior to the expiration of the application, may become permits. Applicants wishing to complete the process and obtain the permit may do so before March 1, 2009 provided that all necessary trades have been approved and the application has not been null and void (no special request or process will be required). After March 1, 2009, applicants will need to make a request within six (6) months from the expiration date of the application for permit issuance. Once again, expired applications will only be allowed to become permits if all required trade approvals were granted before the application expired. Once the request has been approved, the Building Department will allow applicants ten (10) days to pull the permit (no reviews will be conducted during this time). Applications that do not become permits within ten (10) days of the approval of the request will become null and void.
Please be advised that expired applications that have not obtained the necessary trade approvals will become null and void regardless of when the application was submitted to the department. If the applicant is still interested in doing the work, he/she will need to resubmit new sets of drawings, a new permit application and upfront fee. If the application is submitted before March 1, 2009, the 2004 FBC will apply; if the application is submitted on or after March 1, 2009, then the plans will need to comply with the 2007 FBC requirements.
For more information about the 2007 Florida Building Code or expired applications, please contact the Building Department at (305) 593-6700.
OUTDOR EVENTS
Whether you are celebrating a grand opening, an art show, a tournament or a national holiday, outdoor events are a great way for individuals to come together. But, did you know that outdoor events require the approval of the City and, even more, they often require building permits?
An outdoor event is considered as a temporary use of public or private property for the purpose of hosting concerts, festivals, carnivals, races, triathlons, walks, shows, exhibitions, and the like. To ensure the safety of our residents and to maintain the quality of life of our community, the City of Doral must approve all outdoor events prior to any event taking place.
For requirements, City Council approvals, time frames, forms, and other important information, please click here or visit the Building Department.
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The Florida Building Code allows limited work to start before an official building permit is issued. It allows certain work to commence up to the point an inspection would be required. With the approval of the Building Official, limited work can be performed using a qualified contractor while the permit application and plans are being reviewed.
An applicant may request an Early Start Permit during the regular permit application submittal. An Early Start application and a CD of all documents and plans must be completed and submitted to be considered for the Early Start program. In addition, the applicant will need to have hired a licensed contractor to perform the work. Finally, a Zoning Clearance and DERM approval, if applicable, a pre-construction meeting, and payment of pertinent fees will be required before the approval to proceed with early start is granted.
Early Start Permitting and Fire/DERM Concurrent Reviews may be combined to begin construction work much sooner and complete the permitting process quicker.
To participate in the Early Start Program, please click here to access the forms.
For more information about Early Start Permitting, please contact the Building Department at (305) 593-6700.
FIRE/DERM CONCURRENT PLAN REVIEWS
Taking advantage of the Digitized Plan Review that has been place since November 1, 2006, the Building Department will now be conducing all of our reviews electronically for applicants wishing to participate in the Fire/DERM Concurrent Plan Review Program. Essentially, the hard copy set will be released back earlier to the applicant for Fire and DERM reviews while we review the electronic copies.
To participate in this program, applicants must submit a CD containing PDF files of plans, calculations, and other documents necessary for the review process, together with the hard copy set and permit application.
Early Start Permitting and Fire/DERM Concurrent Reviews may be combined to begin construction work much sooner and complete the permitting process quicker.
For more information about Fire/DERM Concurrent Reviews, please contact the Building Department at (305) 593-6700.
It is with great enthusiasm that the City of Doral Building Department announces a ground setting initiative - Digitized Plan Reviews. We have been working on improving the turnaround time for permit applications. The one area that would benefit from streamlining is the station-by-station plan review process. Historically, plans submitted were sent to each plan examiner one at a time. Utilizing state of the art software, wide screen monitors, and the latest in computing power; the Building Department is now capable of performing digitized plan reviews. This advanced technology allows the Department to send electronic copies of plans to each plan examiner simultaneously. Just the thought alone promotes efficiency! A plan examiner will no longer have to wait for another to finish their review, multiple electronic copies will be sent automatically to each required discipline. The turnaround time for a review cycle could be 60% faster than usual.
The Department could not fully realize this accomplishment without your cooperation. We are now accepting an electronic file of your drawings. We encourage all applicants to take advantage of this new ability to significantly shorten your permit review process. All drawings, whether or not generated in CAD, can be submitted electronically on a CD or DVD in a PDF file format. In addition to the CD, two sets of signed and sealed paper copies are still necessary. Today's industry standard CAD programs allow professionals to publish their drawings in this format. If your office uses a different format please discuss your requirements with us so that we can accommodate your submittal. Most importantly, be sure that drawings contained in the electronic file are identical to the paper copies submitted. If your office produces drawings mechanically, just have your drawings scanned into a PDF file format.
Revisions can also be submitted in electronic form. Even if a project has already been approved and under construction, revisions to those projects can be submitted electronically. Permit applications for roofing, shutters, minor and repair work, shop drawings, and NOA's need not be submitted electronically, at this time.
This is the first step towards fully electronic submittals. In the near future, we will rely on electronic submissions over the internet. While this is yet a reality, some preparation is required and professionals must become aware of electronic signatures. The Department of Business and Professional Regulations governs and specifies how electronic signatures are encrypted and utilized by professionals within the State of Florida . I urge each and every one of you to begin looking into this technology.
We appreciate your cooperation and assistance in this ground setting endeavor. If you should have any questions or comments concerning this process please do not hesitate to contact us.
