Lombard simplifies building permit process

As an architect, Dean Pozarzycki wants to get building permits as quickly as possible so his clients don’t have to wait for work on their properties to begin.

Since he does much of his work in Lombard, he may be in luck.

The village is introducing an express permit program that simplifies the process of gaining permission for common home improvements such as a new roof, water heater, furnace or windows.

Homeowners, architects or contractors can stop by the building department on the lower level of Lombard village hall with basic information about their project and leave with a permit in hand in about a half-hour, said Keith Steiskal, a building official with the community development department.

“We’re not testing them to see what they know to apply for the permit,” Steiskal said. “We’re not testing their ability to get through a process.”

In the past, receiving such permits may have required multiple visits to the building department and a back-and-forth about the project, he said.

The building department issued the first express building permits in March and will continue rolling out the program, tweaking it if necessary, until it runs efficiently, said Community Development Director Bill Heniff.

The village wants to expedite the permit process to discourage contractors and handy homeowners from doing work without the village’s knowledge.

“The added benefit is we want to encourage people to apply for permits,” Heniff said. “If we continue to make the process as simple as possible, there will be that much greater of an incentive.”

The community development department tracks permit applications to gauge how much owners are investing in their properties, Heniff said. And of course, permits are a revenue source for the village.

Getting a permit through the express program doesn’t increase its cost, Heniff said. So no matter the speed, a permit to install a new roof costs $54; a permit to install windows starts at $41 plus an administrative fee; and a permit to put in a new water heater costs $53, according to the building department.

Pozarzycki’s architectural firm has not yet received an express permit, but he said he looks forward to using the express process in the future.

“I think the system is going to work very well,” Pozarzycki said. “They seem to be modifying their system to truly accommodate the growth of the village and meeting that modest balance between safety, protecting the public and serving the public.”