Has anyone actually gotten a clear answer from their city about what file naming conventions they want? I tried calling ours and just got bounced around departments. It’s wild how something as basic as a dash or underscore can break the whole process. Did you have to compress your files a certain way, or was it just the names that mattered? I’m starting to wonder if there’s some hidden file size limit too...
I ran into the same mess last year—couldn’t get a straight answer on file names, and they kicked back my plans twice for “formatting issues.” Did anyone actually get told if PDFs need to be flattened or if bookmarks are a problem?
Title: Dealing with city red tape for building approvals
I swear, the file naming thing nearly broke me. I thought I was being clever with “kitchen_reno_final_FINAL.pdf” but apparently, the city doesn’t appreciate my sense of humor or my caps lock. First submission? Rejected for “improper document labeling.” Second try? They said my PDF was “not properly flattened.” At that point, I was convinced flattening was a yoga pose, not a file thing.
Here’s how it went for me, in case it helps (or at least gives someone a laugh):
Step 1: Exported my plans from SketchUp as a regular PDF, because who reads the manual?
Step 2: Uploaded. Waited. Got a rejection email with a mysterious checklist.
Step 3: Googled “flatten PDF” and realized it’s not about pancakes. Downloaded a free PDF editor, hit “flatten,” and hoped for the best.
Step 4: Uploaded again. This time, they said I had “excessive bookmarks.” I didn’t even know bookmarks were a thing in PDFs, let alone excessive ones.
Step 5: Opened the PDF, deleted all bookmarks (which meant clicking through every page because of course I’d bookmarked every section for my own sanity).
Step 6: Uploaded for the third time. Success… or so I thought. Turns out, they wanted the file named “123_Main_Street_Plans.pdf” and not “kitchen_reno_final_FINAL.pdf.” Back to square one.
Moral of the story: the city’s formatting rules are like Fight Club—no one talks about them, and if you break them, you get kicked out. I never got a straight answer about bookmarks either. My advice? Assume they want it as boring and flat as possible, and don’t get creative with file names unless you enjoy rejection emails.
If you ever figure out who actually knows these rules, let me know. I’m convinced it’s just one person in a basement somewhere, making it up as they go.
the city’s formatting rules are like Fight Club—no one talks about them, and if you break them, you get kicked out.
That line cracked me up because it’s so true. I’m right there with you—spent two weeks trying to figure out why my “livingroom_update_v2.pdf” wasn’t good enough. Turns out, they wanted everything in all caps, no spaces, and the address first. Who knew? Honestly, I think they just want to see how many hoops we’ll jump through before giving up. At least now I know to keep things as plain as possible... creativity is apparently a punishable offense.
I had a similar experience but with the naming convention for my kitchen remodel plans. I thought I was being super organized by labeling everything with dates and room names, but apparently, that’s not what they want at all. They rejected my submission because I didn’t put the parcel number first, and then everything had to be in a specific order—address, parcel, project type, etc. It’s almost like they’re testing how closely you read the fine print.
It’s a little frustrating how little of this is actually spelled out anywhere. I combed through their guidelines and still missed it. Makes me wonder if there’s some unwritten list of “gotchas” that only insiders know about. Did anyone else notice if there’s an actual checklist or reference sheet that covers these weird formatting rules, or is it just trial and error for everyone? I’m curious if there’s a way to avoid getting bounced back so many times.
Also, has anyone tried calling the city office directly to ask about this stuff? I left a voicemail but haven’t heard back yet. Part of me wonders if they’d even give a straight answer, or just point back to that same vague PDF. It feels like there should be a better way to make this process less mysterious... or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
