Permitting office goes to neighborhoods

City RV is a one-stop shop to help residents begin home-repair process

A white 41-foot converted recreational vehicle is rolling through flood-impacted neighborhoods, bringing city permitting officials directly to the areas with highest demand for permitted repair and restoration work.

The vehicle is serving as a city of Houston mobile permitting office, and it is a one-stopshop for those who need permits to restore their homes to pre-flood condition.

This is the first time the city has brought the permitting process directly to floodimpacted residents in this manner, said Julie Gilbert, a spokeswoman for Public Works and Engineering.

“We want people back in their homes as soon as possible and are ready to help them do just that,” Gilbert said.

The mobile permitting center vehicle first rolled out in the beginning of this month, stopping by Inwood, Greenspoint and Meyerland for three-day periods each. The city has announced a return visit to both Inwood and Meyerland before this month is over.

Other upcoming destinations will be announced in two week blocks on www.houstonrecovers.org.

Gilbert said there is not yet a master list of neighborhoods to be visited, nor is there an an-

nounced time span for the duration of this program, so those affected should continue to monitor online for updated information.

Kevin Bell, president of the Greater Inwood Partnership, a nonprofit community organization that serves one of the regions most impacted by the flooding, urged residents to utilize the mobile permitting centers.

Bell said many residents who can’t afford a contractor and are planning to complete repairs themselves have been apprehensive to pull a permit; many of them thinking that they may be able to save money by skirting the code regulations.

Bell said this can not only damage property value, but can be dangerous.

“There is a higher incidence of fires post-flood because of corrosion to light sockets and the like, so it is very important that the repair work is done right,” Bell said. “The permitting office is there to keep people and their homes safe.”

Bell, who also is an area Realtor, said that when buyers are interested in purchasing a home that was in a flood-impacted area, showing permits for repair work protects home value as it shows that work was done properly and to code. When there is not a permit on file, the opposite could occur.

“Without a permit, they can’t prove that the work was done right,” Bell said.

Bell said many residents fear that the inflated repair work prices — which he said have spiked because of high demand — could flag their home as being “substantially damaged,” which means that the city won’t grant work permits, and renders the home unrepairable at present.

Permitting guidelines published on publicworks. houstontx.gov define this status as an event-damaged home in which the cost of restoration exceeds half of the market value of the structure.

For a “substantial damage” tagged home in the flood plain, a homeowner would need to elevate the home properly before any work could be done, or if that is not doable, the homeowners alternative option would be to accept a property buy-out from the county.

Bell said inflated repair costs have many impacted residents fearing that their repair work is at or approaching the 50 percent value.

At the mobile permitting centers, Bell said he has seen extraordinary efforts to keep homes from falling into the “substantially damaged” category.

He said the city is trying to keep people in their homes, and let work commence, and this fear is not a reason residents should avoid permitting their repair work.

“They’re making every effort to work with people,” said Bell. “They’re adjusting repair costs to pre-inflation levels, and looking at the value of the properties beforehand.”

The mobile permitting centers are fully staffed and ready to grant permits. On board are representatives from the Floodplain Management Office and Building Code Enforcement on-site to answer any questions; and a notary public to certify any required signatory documents. Permit payments can be made on site by credit card, debit card or electronic check, though no cash payments will be accepted.

Those interested in obtaining permits at the mobile centers should arrive with forms and documentation during posted operational hours — typically 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. — which can be verified for each location on www.houstonrecovers.org. No appointment is needed.

A check-in crew will review documents before admittance to ensure residents have all the requirements on hand or inform them of what else they need to provide. The mobile permitting centers will only grant permits for work that restores homes to pre-flood condition.

Plans that would either increase the square footage of the home or constitute a remodel will not be serviced at the mobile permitting centers.

Residents planning to remodel or add to their homes should note that as of May 4, the city has changed permitting requirements for those living in the 100-year flood plain.

The new guidelines require that any permits for work that change the living space, or the “footprint,” of a home will no longer be reviewed at walk-in service, and must now be submitted through the traditional plan review process at the Houston Permitting Center, 1002 Washington Ave. For more on the mobile permitting center, visit www.houstonrecovers. org.