One of the most common questions we receive from clients and homeowners is “Why do permitting and civil engineering projects cost so much?” This is a fair question, and on the surface, it may appear that a project is as simple as paying for a set of plans, a survey or a permit application. In reality, the cost is much more than drawings and paperwork.

Navigating the Regulatory Maze

Development and permitting today is more complex than ever. A typical project may require coordination with planning and zoning, engineering, environmental programs, soil conservation districts, health departments, state highway administration, critical area staff and other regulatory agencies. Each agency has its own unique set of requirements, timelines and review processes. One change in a building footprint, driveway location, deck addition or placement of a shed on your property can trigger new input from multiple agencies. Property owners often assume permit applications are simply submitted and immediately approved. These assumptions cannot be further from the truth. All types of projects go through multiple review cycles. Each round of comments requires:

• Technical review
• Engineering revisions
• Coordination with reviewers
• Adherence to code compliance
• Resubmittal preparation

A project may go through months of coordination before a permit is finally issued.

The Plans and Survey

When a client receives a completed site plan, survey, grading plans, stormwater management report or permit approval, they are seeing the result of hundreds of individual tasks that occur behind the scenes. Before any field survey or any plans are drawn, our team performs:

• Property and deed research
• Survey analysis and field investigations
• Zoning reviews
• Environmental constraint evaluations
• Stormwater management calculations
• Agency coordination and meetings
• Permit application preparations
• Review of state and local codes

The survey, plans and applications are the final product of all that work.

Experience Saves Time and Money

The value of an engineering and permit consultant is not measured by the size of an office or the number of drawings produced. It is the experience in identifying potential problems early. This includes understanding and having agency relationships, managing expectations, designing solutions that can be approved and minimizing unnecessary permitting delays. An experienced engineering team can often save clients far more money than the cost of the fees.

Looking Beyond the Fee

When evaluating engineering proposals, it is important to look beyond the bottom-line number. The lowest fee does not always provide the greatest value. The best question to ask is: “Which team is most likely to navigate the permitting process efficiently, identify issues early and deliver a successful project?”

At Terrain, we believe our 30-plus years of experience is our value, in developing friendships and helping our clients move projects from ideas to approvals.