DCRA Releasing "Permit Wizard" to Guide Applicants Through the Permitting Process

• March 4th 2021

by Nena Perry-Brown

In its ongoing quest to make the permitting process less cumbersome, DC's Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) is rolling out a new streamlined permit application process. 

The Permit Wizard, announced today, would steer applicants through the process via a series of questions that will identify which permits would be needed for their desired project, the estimated cost of the permits, which agency reviews and documentation will be needed, and what inspections will be required. The Permit Wizard would also give customers a heads up on other things about their property they should take into account.

The new tool will be available for residential properties including single-family homes and residential-only multi-family buildings; other property types will be added later. There are also some application types that are not yet supported, including permit extensions, raze applications, solar installations, and after-hours permits.

It is unclear how long this new status quo will be in effect: A month ago, DC Council overruled the mayor's veto of a bill to split up DCRA and create a Department of Buildings to oversee permitting.

CORRECTION: The headline previously misidentified the name of the system.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dcra-releasing-pilot-wizard-to-guide-applicants-through-the-permitting-proc/17963.