Building Barometer

Building Barometer - July 12, 2016

A fair fee for a reasonable level of service - 

As a builder, you may be experiencing a deterioration in the level of service you receive for building permit and inspections. We have spent countless hours working with our partners in the regulatory community to address these problems on your behalf. Your permitting fees are the primary source of revenue for these services and you should be able to rely on consistent service and a reasonable timeframe for these services.

We have not identified any spikes in activity that would cause such a deterioration so my intuition tells me its staff fatigue. As we return to a more normal market, the building departments have been slow to increase their resources, relying on outsourcing and overtime – both great short term solutions but are not sustainable. 

We have meetings with both building officials this month and encourage you to attend so that you can help provide solutions to this shared problem. 

Hillsborough Vertical Codes – July 11th – 2pm @ TBBA
Pasco Roundtable – July 13th @ 2pm in New Port Richey Gov’t Center


Staff Contact: Jennifer

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The Trend Toward Green - 

A market report and case study submitted by Mitsubishi Cooling & Heating

This year the U.S. Green Building Council has attempted to understand why builders and homeowners have sustainability in mind. The top reasons driving this upswing in green building include strong market demand, cost savings for the end user, health, codes and property values. It could be easier, of course, to have just one reason. If the answer were cost savings for the end user, all decisions could be made with that concept in mind. 

Even without a single reason the market is going green, many builders share a sense of environmental responsibility and green is becoming a best practice. It helps that green building goes hand-in-hand with advanced technology. This is an era in which homeowners look to control costs and live more thoughtfully and conveniently. The result is that builders are tasked with providing homes that meet all of the market’s previous demands and are also contemporary and high-tech.

Fortunately, builders have tools at their disposal to solve this challenge. Some manufacturers offer apps, products, even entire mechanical systems that help builders create homes they can stand by, and homes people want. Read More

To submit an Innovation in your field contact Amy.