Prepare a Basic Residential Permit Application Packet

A. Finished-Project Specification

Scope: one complete residential permit application packet for the property and scope defined in the Chapter 2 permit decision, containing the application form, project-data sheet, scope description, required drawings and attachments, contractor or owner-builder information, document index, and recorded submission confirmation.

B. Packet Component Schedule

Component	Quantity	Source	Required Content	Verification / Purpose
Application Form	1	Official current form	Property, owner, contractor, scope, and valuation fields completed	Matches the current published version
Project-Data Sheet	1	Prepared by learner	Address, parcel, zoning, occupancy, construction type, flood or overlay status, floor area, stories, valuation	Matches every other document in the packet
Scope Description	1	Prepared by learner	Plain-language statement of all regulated work, including owner-furnished and deferred items	Does not minimize or omit regulated scope
Site Plan	1	Prepared or obtained	Property lines, setbacks, easements, structures, access, utilities, drainage, proposed work	Matched to zoning and property information
Floor Plans, Elevations, Sections, Details	As required by scope	Prepared or obtained	Drawings appropriate to the classified scope	Consistent dimensions across all sheets
Calculations, Engineering, Energy Documents	As required by scope	Design professional / energy professional	Structural, truss, geotechnical, and energy compliance documents	Attached as provided, not modified
Contractor / Owner-Builder Information	1	Verified with responsible party	License, registration, insurance, bond, or owner-builder disclosure	Confirmed directly, never fabricated
Document Index	1	Prepared by learner	List of every submitted form, drawing, calculation, report, and attachment	Matches the actual contents of the packet
Fee Record	1	Official method or agency calculation	Plan-review fees, deposits, technology fees, impact fees	Uses only the current official method
Signatures, Notarization, Seals	As required	Authorized parties	Owner, contractor, and design-professional signatures in required form	Obtained from the actual authorized party

C. Resource Takeoff

• Controlling inputs: the Chapter 1 binder's current forms, checklist, drawing standards, and fee information, and the Chapter 2 permit decision for this property.
• Property and applicant data: address, parcel number, owner contact and authorization, and contractor or owner-builder information confirmed directly with each party.
• Drawings and documents: a site plan and the floor plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules, structural drawings, and demolition plans appropriate to the classified scope, plus any required calculations, engineering, truss, geotechnical, or energy documents from the identified professional.
• Submission allowance: printing, scanning, or portal-account costs, and any notarization required for the owner-builder disclosure or other acknowledgments.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Input confirmation	The application form, checklist, drawing standards, and fee information are confirmed current from the Chapter 1 binder before drafting begins
Scope completeness	The scope description includes every regulated item identified in the Chapter 2 permit decision, with no minimized or omitted work
Document consistency	Address, owner, scope, dimensions, valuation, sheet dates, and revisions agree across every document in the packet
Credential accuracy	Every license number, insurance reference, signature, and seal is confirmed directly with the responsible party and none are fabricated
Checklist compliance	The finished packet passes a line-by-line check against the official submittal checklist with no blank required field
Submission record	The submission date, confirmation number, fees paid, and expected next step are recorded after submission

E. Preparation — Confirm Inputs and Property Data

1. Obtain the permit decision, current application form, submittal checklist, drawing standards, fee information, and portal requirements. Confirm each item directly from the Chapter 1 binder and recheck any item flagged as due for review.
2. Confirm project address, parcel number, legal description if required, zoning, occupancy, construction type if applicable, and flood or overlay status. Record these on the project-data sheet and verify them against an official property record.
3. Confirm owner name, contact, authorization, mailing address, and applicant relationship. Obtain written authorization from the owner if the applicant is not the owner.
4. Confirm contractor business name, license number, registration, insurance, bond, trade licenses, and responsible contact where required. Verify these directly with the licensing authority or contractor rather than accepting an unverified business card or invoice.
5. If owner-builder is proposed, obtain the official disclosure and verify that the owner — not the preparer — makes the legal declaration. Do not complete or imply this declaration on the owner's behalf under any circumstance.

F. Write the Scope Description and Project-Data Sheet

1. Define the complete project scope in plain language without minimizing regulated work. State every trade and system affected in ordinary, specific terms.
2. Identify demolition, structural, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, gas, energy, fire, site, and exterior work in the scope description. List each applicable category explicitly rather than using a single general phrase.
3. State work location, dimensions, floor area, number of stories, valuation, and intended use using the jurisdiction's required basis. Use the same figures that will appear on the drawings and application form.
4. Do not omit owner-furnished, deferred, subcontracted, or separately permitted work that affects review. Disclose this work in the scope description even when it will be tracked or permitted separately.
5. Prepare the project-data sheet matching the plans and application. Confirm every field on the project-data sheet matches the corresponding field on the drawings and the application form before continuing.

G. Obtain Drawings and Supporting Documents

1. Prepare or obtain the site plan showing property lines, setbacks, easements, structures, access, utilities, drainage, and proposed work as required. Confirm the site plan matches the zoning and property-mapping information in the Chapter 1 binder.
2. Prepare or obtain floor plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules, structural drawings, and demolition plans appropriate to the scope. Include only the drawing types the classified scope actually requires.
3. Obtain calculations, engineering, truss information, geotechnical documents, energy compliance, product approvals, and specifications where required. Request these directly from the identified design professional or manufacturer; do not draft or estimate them.
4. Identify deferred submittals and confirm the jurisdiction permits them. Record the agency's confirmation and any conditions before listing an item as deferred.
5. Confirm drawing sheet size, scale, title block, signatures, seals, revision dates, file names, bookmarks, and electronic formatting. Match every drawing to the current jurisdictional formatting requirements before filing it in the packet.

H. Cross-Check, Complete Signatures, and Confirm Fees

1. Create a document index listing every submitted form, drawing, calculation, report, and attachment. Update the index as each document is added or replaced.
2. Cross-check project address, owner, scope, dimensions, valuation, sheet dates, and revision across all documents. Record and resolve any discrepancy before continuing.
3. Cross-check the site plan with zoning and property information. Confirm setbacks, lot lines, and easements shown on the site plan agree with the Chapter 1 zoning and property-mapping records.
4. Cross-check architectural, structural, MEP, energy, and specification documents for obvious conflicts. Flag any conflict for the responsible design professional rather than resolving it independently.
5. Confirm plan sheets identify applicable code editions and project data only as authorized by the design professional or jurisdiction. Do not add or alter a code-edition reference on a drawing without that authorization.
6. Complete contractor, design-professional, and trade sections without fabricating credentials or signatures. Leave a field blank and flagged rather than filling it with unverified information.
7. Complete utility, septic, well, flood, historic, HOA, or other prerequisite approvals before submission where required. Attach evidence of each completed prerequisite approval.
8. Calculate fees only using the current official method or leave them for agency calculation when required. Do not present an estimated fee as the confirmed amount due.
9. Identify required deposits, plan-review fees, technology fees, impact fees, and separate-agency charges. Record each fee category and its current source.
10. Complete required acknowledgments, affidavits, owner authorizations, and disclosures. Match each acknowledgment to the party legally required to sign it.
11. Obtain authorized signatures, notarization, and seals in the required form. Confirm each signature was executed by the actual authorized party.

I. Final Check and Submission

1. Perform a line-by-line check against the official submittal checklist. Mark each checklist item as satisfied, not applicable, or outstanding.
2. Correct blank required fields, conflicting data, missing attachments, unreadable files, and obsolete forms. Resolve every outstanding checklist item before proceeding.
3. Create the electronic or physical packet in the required submission order. Match the packet order to the document index and the jurisdiction's required sequence.
4. Save a pre-submission archive with checksum or controlled version identification where practical. Preserve this archive as the exact version submitted.
5. Submit through the authorized portal, counter, mail, or other required channel. Use only the channel confirmed in the Chapter 1 binder.
6. Record submission date, confirmation number, fees paid, reviewer assignment if available, and expected next step. File this record with the compliance record.
7. Create a plan-review response folder and tracking log. Prepare this folder to receive the agency's review comments before they arrive.
8. File the submitted packet and proof of submission in the compliance record. Store the packet where it remains available for Chapter 4's code-note review.