Totally get where you’re coming from. It’s wild how one tiny oversight can derail the whole process. I’ve had inspectors zero in on things I barely thought about, too. Your checklist idea is smart—keeps those curveballs to a minimum. Hang in there, it does get easier... until they change the rules again.
Yeah, the rules changing mid-stream is the part that gets me every time. Last year, I had to redo my whole window plan because they updated the energy codes—cost me a few hundred bucks I hadn’t budgeted for. Have you ever tried appealing a denial, or do you just tweak and resubmit? I’ve wondered if it’s worth pushing back or if it just drags things out longer.
Have you ever tried appealing a denial, or do you just tweak and resubmit? I’ve wondered if it’s worth pushing back or if it just drags things out longer.
Honestly, I’ve pushed back a couple times and it actually worked once—got a supervisor to look at it and they reversed the denial. But most of the time, it just eats up weeks for nothing. I usually just tweak and resubmit now. Sometimes I wonder if they count on people not bothering to appeal... but every city’s different.
Had a similar thing happen last year with my deck project. First time, I tried appealing—wrote a whole letter, attached photos, the works. It just dragged on and eventually they asked for more info anyway, so I ended up tweaking and resubmitting like you said. Sometimes I think they just want to see if you'll give up, but hey, persistence pays off now and then. I get the frustration, though... every city really does have its own weird hoops to jump through.
Honestly, I’ve found that calling the permit office and asking for specifics can save a ton of back-and-forth. Sometimes it’s just one tiny detail holding things up. Did they ever give you a clear reason for the denial, or was it vague?
