Building Construction Services reports damage assessments, permits and expedited processes after storms

Building Construction Services staff summarized post-storm permitting and damage-evaluation work, reporting thousands of damaged structures and an accelerated permitting program to help owners recover and meet National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements.

BCS staff said there were more than 19,000 damaged structures countywide after the two storms and that teams performed over 29,000 substantial-damage evaluation inspections and mailed more than 13,000 notices. Staff created a 17-page substantial-damage questionnaire and used a GIS-enabled tool (Forerunner) to speed determinations, which reduced permit timelines for storm-damage work from roughly two weeks to about four days in many cases.

County staff also stood up three permanent pop-up permit centers to handle in-person intake and help residents file FEMA and insurance claims and obtain storm-damage permits without navigating the normal permit timeline. The department said it has processed over 10,000 permit applications related to recovery and waived roughly $2.6 million in permit fees to reduce barriers for homeowners.

Why it matters: Faster damage determinations, on-site permit assistance and reduced fees help households begin repairs and document damage for FEMA and insurance claims while keeping the county in compliance with NFIP and state guidance.

BCS staff said it would continue refining the SDE workflow, expand staffing for post-disaster permitting and follow legislation changes (including a state bill that may alter cumulative damage calculations) to update county ordinances as needed.