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Every permit expediting firm has a secret asset that does not show up on the balance sheet. It is not your city relationships. It is not your code knowledge. It is that messy list of people who reached out, sounded serious, then disappeared. Homeowners who asked for help with an ADU, addition, pool, or retaining wall, then stopped replying Architects who said, "We will circle back once the client approves" Investors who wanted numbers and timelines, then went quiet for six mo

Most permit expediting firms were never built with a sales system in mind. You start with one jurisdiction, a few architects, a couple of contractors, some city relationships. Work comes in, you answer your phone, you reply to emails, you send proposals when you have time. That works at the beginning. Then you wake up with: More inquiries than you can track in your inbox Proposals sitting half drafted because you are juggling plan check corrections Architects, owners, and inv

If you are reading this, someone probably just said a sentence that sounded like this: “You will need a permit expediter for that.” Maybe you are a homeowner planning an ADU or major remodel and the contractor or architect mentioned you might need help with the city. Maybe you are a real estate professional or an investor who finally wants to move into larger projects, more units, or more complex properties, and everyone keeps telling you the permitting side is where deals ge

You go to sell, and the city’s seller report doesn’t match what’s on site. You list on Airbnb and the platform asks for your registration number; photos show a “bonus bedroom” that isn’t in city records. Or you apply for a new permit and the reviewer opens your property history. Panic is normal. But most cases are fixable. California gives you a lane called an after-the-fact (as-built) permit: document what exists, correct what’s unsafe, pass inspections, and finalize the per

California doesn’t certify expediters; it calibrates them. The edge is a mix of industry knowledge (portals, plan-check triggers, public noticing) and discipline (file conventions, submittal choreography, tight correction logs). Nail both, and you sell certainty. ⸻ Pick a lane you can win (then earn the right to expand) Start with one or two specialties where you’ll be flawless within 30 days: ADUs & additions (homeowner-led, high volume) Tenant Improvements (TI) for retail/o

Behind every groundbreaking photo with shiny hard hats, there’s someone who’s already been grinding for months, in the hallways of City Hall. They’re not architects. Not contractors. They’re permit expediters — the quiet operators who know every jurisdiction, every zoning nuance, every plan checker who just came back from lunch. Without them, no shovel hits dirt. ⸻ The American Permit Revolution Ten years ago, the word expediter was local slang in New York and L.A. Today, it’

It’s year-end in California. Phones ringing. Inboxes stacked. Clients asking the same question in different ways: “Do we push a submittal now to beat the new code — or do we design for it?” On January 1, 2026, the 2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24) becomes enforceable. That’s not just a book update it’s the line between two sets of rules. If your permit application is filed on or after Jan 1, 2026, your project must comply with the 2025 edition. Same for the 2

It’s 8:30 a.m. Your inbox is already full. A homeowner wants an update on their ADU. An architect is asking if you can “just check the city portal one more time.” A contractor wants a quote “as soon as possible.” And somewhere in that same inbox, three new leads are waiting — untouched. You tell yourself you’ll call them back later. After plan check. After revisions. After lunch. But “later” turns into tomorrow, and tomorrow turns into silence. That’s how projects die. Not at

Most permit expediters think growth means only chasing new clients. But the real winners? They build engines that make old clients come back — and bring their friends with them. In 2025, growth isn’t just about leads. It’s about retention, trust, and reputation — and how every project you finish either earns you a repeat client or a silent one-time transaction. Let’s break down what separates expediters who attract referrals automatically from those who constantly have to hu

Every permit expediter has lived this story: A homeowner finally replies, an architect says, “Let’s circle back next week,” or a developer requests a quote — and by the time you get back to them, they’ve already hired someone else. Sound familiar? That 48-hour delay just cost you a project that could’ve covered payroll for the month. ⸻ The Real Problem Isn’t Leads — It’s Response Speed Most expediters think their problem is lead volume. “It’s just a slow month.” “We need more

You’d think by 2025, every permit expediter would have their sales process figured out. CRMs, automation, AI, all the tools are there. And yet — week after week — projects go dark, prospects disappear, and new leads that should’ve closed quietly vanish. So what’s really happening? Let’s break down the hidden leaks that most expediters ignore — and what separates the top 10% from everyone else. 1. The “Call-Once” Trap Let’s start with the obvious one. You make contact, maybe s

You didn’t become a permit expediter to chase leads. You became one to move projects forward, deal with cities, and deliver exceptional results — not to spend half your day sending follow-ups, chasing quotes, and qualifying prospects who might never sign. And yet, that’s what growth often feels like: the better you get, the busier you become… but not always in the right ways. Leads pile up, projects lag, and suddenly, you’re managing the chaos instead of managing your busines