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You’re reviewing permitting files when it hits you: you missed a state-mandated deadline. Your stomach drops. This could mean delayed projects, frustrated developers, and an uncomfortable conversation with your supervisor.
It’s the kind of “oh no” moment that even experienced building departments experience on occasion. A missed renewal here, a misfiled document there, and suddenly you’re playing catch-up on everything else.
These compliance headaches create that sinking feeling when you discover problems after the fact, rather than preventing them in the first place.
In this blog, we’ll walk through the most common compliance pitfalls that create unwelcome surprises—and how the MCCi Community Development platform can help you stay ahead of deadlines, documentation, and other challenges.
Challenge #1: Timeliness
The number one compliance challenge that agencies face in their permitting processes? Application turnaround time.
You may have internal service level agreements (SLAs) to comply with. Or maybe you have state-mandated legal timeline compliance.
Legal requirements vary depending on your state and the type of permit. A few examples:
- In California, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have a 60-day approval window.
- Texas mandates that residential and commercial building permits must be processed within 45 days.
- As of Jan. 1, 2025, Florida requires most permits to be approved or denied within 10-30 business days for most residential or 60 days for most commercial permits. The building permit fee must be reduced by 10% per day past the deadline.
Missing deadlines could jeopardize funding or result in legal challenges.
How MCCi Community Development Helps
- Reminders: Workflows track deadlines and send reminders to staff as due dates approach. This helps you make sure that applications don’t slip through the cracks.
- Simplified Correspondence: Find yourself making the same responses to applicants over and over (such as payment reminders)? In MCCi Community Development, you can configure “canned” emails with your most-used comments to send in a few clicks. That means less hands-on time on each permit so you can approve or deny them faster.
- Smart Forms: MCCi’s smart forms can automatically reject an application based on your local permitting guidelines. For instance, suppose someone wants to build a pergola in their backyard. The form asks how many square feet the pergola is. They enter 600, but by regulation they’re only allowed 200 square feet. The form will display a message that explains the regulation. It won’t let them submit the form unless it’s corrected. Automatically rejecting permits that don’t meet basic requirements means you have more time to deal with other applications.
Challenge #2: Documentation and Data Management
Documents related to permits, like water table and percolation tests, need to be well-organized. If records are scattered across different systems or locations, you’ll have trouble responding to audits or public records requests.
Suppose your agency holds records related to a percolation test for a septic system. A year later, somebody gets sick. Now there’s a request for information about it. Did it meet the requirements of the state before you issued the permit?
Without proper documentation, it’s hard to prove compliance. But good records management protects your agency if something goes wrong.
How MCCi Community Development Helps
- Case Files. MCCi Community Development stores all data related to a permit in a single location so you can access it quickly and easily. This provides a single “source of truth” that you can refer to for the most accurate information.
- File Export. If you get a FOIA or other information request, you can export the files you want from MCCi Community Development into a single file or folder. Without a system like this, cities say it takes them up to an hour to compile documents. They may be stored in several different systems, someone’s local computer, or even a file cabinet. But with MCCi, the entire case file can be exported in a few clicks.
- Laserfiche Integration. For even more advanced records management capabilities, MCCi Community Development integrates with Laserfiche. You can automatically apply retention schedules and store huge quantities of data without slowing down your system.
Challenge #3: Licensing and Contractor Validation
Unlicensed contractors can cause serious problems. Their work may be unsafe, and they may not have insurance in case someone gets injured. Contractors could also be working with expired or invalid licenses, which can slip through the cracks if staff rely on manual checks.
Cities and counties should do their due diligence to ensure that residents and businesses aren’t hiring unlicensed contractors. Without an easy way to validate licenses, cities may accidentally allow unqualified contractors to work and put residents at risk.
How MCCi Community Development Helps
MCCi Community Development can integrate with state databases to validate contractor licenses automatically. That means you don’t need to manually check each contractor’s status. If a license has expired, the system flags it so the contractor can’t be approved to work until they renew their license.
The integration also allows the public to check a contractor’s license online without having to call the city or county office—saving time for both you and them.
Challenge #4: Reporting
Cities and counties often need to create detailed reports to meet state or federal requirements. Good reporting is essential for compliance audits, tracking housing development, or applying for grants. Without accurate and up-to-date data, municipalities risk losing funding or failing to meet important goals.
For example, in California, local governments have to develop Housing Elements as part of their general plans to ensure they accommodate the housing needs of all income levels. City and county building departments need to generate reports to demonstrate their compliance with state housing law.
You may also need reporting to demonstrate compliance with grant funding requirements, such as the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
But generating these reports manually can be time-consuming. And it can lead to mistakes, especially when staff have to pull information from multiple systems.
How MCCi Community Development Helps
- Standard and Custom Reports. Your MCCi system comes with 25 reports pre-configured, such as location reports and permits issued by type. We can also work with you to configure additional reports based on your individual needs.
- Automated Reports. Are there reports that you need once a month, every quarter, or at the end of the year? MCCi Community Development can be configured to be pushed them out automatically.
- Power BI Integration. If you have particularly complex reporting needs, your MCCi database can integrate with Microsoft Power BI.
Feel Confident About Compliance
“Our use of the [MCCi] platform has evolved a lot since the beginning, and they've kept pace with our needs. I've never heard ‘that can't be done’ from anybody. If we need it, they always find a way.”
From managing timelines to generating accurate reports, MCCi empowers you to handle complex compliance challenges with confidence.
Ready to see how MCCi Community Development can simplify your permitting process? Contact us today to learn more or schedule a demo. Let’s work together to make compliance simple and efficient.