Practice Management Member Conversations

This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Technology in Architectural Practice and Practice Management Member Conversations .
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What are your policies on the signing of building permit applications for your clients?  Does anyone really read the "fine print" that the signatory is agreeing to/certifying? I recently had a conversation with an official in Minnesota whom stated that the permit "applicant" warranted the project with their signature.

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John Berry AIA
Codes Manager
CR Architecture + Design, Inc.
Cincinnati OH
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It would be best to understand the state licencing regulations in your jurisdiction.  You want to be a position to remove any ambiguity in your degree of clarity as there are potential penalities for crossing over the line.  That said, it is not unusual for a local AHJ to have their take on what is required and make representations that are not consistent with the licensing board.  You might discuss the particulars with the board in a way to not disclose the local jurisdiction so you can have a counter to the AHJ.  Good luck.

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Kerry Hogue AIA
HKS, Inc.
Dallas TX
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We require the General Contractor to sign for all permits for both commercial and residential projects.

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Chad Dixon AIA
Project Architect
HGE, Inc.
Coos Bay OR
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My entire career as a Licensed Architect has been in Minnesota.  As I recall, here, only the owner or the contractor is permitted to obtain a building permit.  Thus, unless you have specifically been designated (and accepted) as an agent of the owner, I would recommend against such practice. 

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Craig Hess AIA
Elness Swenson Graham Architects, Inc.
Maplewood MN
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We do not sign any applications that certify construction will be done in compliance with anything, and we don't sign applications that indicate we are an "agent of the owner" because some of our contracts specifically say we are NOT authorized to act as their agent. It takes some time and some explanation to get the right people to sign the right thing, but it's always a good idea to read the fine print. ------------------------------------------- Daryl Bray AIA SGA Design Group, P.C. Tulsa OK -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-15-2013 15:30 From: John Berry Subject: Architect Signing Permit Applications This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Technology in Architectural Practice and Practice Management Member Conversations . ------------------------------------------- What are your policies on the signing of building permit applications for your clients? Does anyone really read the "fine print" that the signatory is agreeing to/certifying? I recently had a conversation with an official in Minnesota whom stated that the permit "applicant" warranted the project with their signature. ------------------------------------------- John Berry AIA Codes Manager CR Architecture + Design, Inc. Cincinnati OH -------------------------------------------