Members of the Dallas Builders Association descended on Dallas City Hall on Monday, Jan. 31, for a Festivus-style airing of the grievances.
The City of Dallas asked for feedback from stakeholders at the special called Government Performance and Financial Management Committee meeting. And builders did not hold back.
“Nearly every day for the last two years, I have heard from builders and residents who are stuck,” said Dallas Builders Association Executive Officer Phil Crone during the session.
The sticking point is one that builders have decried since before the beginning of the pandemic. Permits at the City of Dallas — even ones for the most basic services — are taking weeks and costing builders thousands.
“We have been managing them with staff one at a time, but fixing the problem involves aligning the people, process, and policy once and for all,” Crone said. “Of all the major problems facing our city, this should be the easiest one to solve.”
The problems center on the excessive cost of delays, the lack of intuitive systems, and the unresponsive staff at City Hall.
“Just a simple process like inputting the new water account information that used to take 10 minutes now is taking two weeks,” said Dallas Builders Association past president Jeff Dworkin. “The seven weeks I waited cost my small construction company more than $8,000.”
Executive in residence Will Mundinger provided an overview of the current situation and the challenges with staffing and technology. Mundinger was brought in last year to address these issues. However, he stated that builders should expect to wait six to eight weeks for a permit now, but added that should improve in the coming weeks.
Despite challenges with the city’s online permitting system, called ProjectDox, the Dallas Builders Association is encouraging builders to submit plans themselves.
“I’m finding several cases where builders hire a third party to submit their permit and that entity drops the ball,” added Crone. “If you do it yourself, you can check on the status of your permit and any requests for revisions on your own without relying on someone else.”
Is your project stuck in limbo at Dallas City Hall? Crone encourages anyone who is waiting to contact the Dallas Builders Association for help.
