City of Dallas Asks Builders For Feedback on Problematic Permit Process Ahead of May 18 Council Briefing

Getting a building permit in the City of Dallas is an ordeal. That much has been well-documented since before the pandemic completely blew up the process and made securing a permit in the city nigh impossible. Despite outcry from builders, contractors, and inspectors, a solution has yet to be proffered.

Though CandysDirt.com has gone on and on (and on) about the difficulty of getting a building permit and the thousands it is costing our city every day, the City of Dallas is asking for even more feedback from stakeholders on the issue.

The core of the issue? The City of Dallas hasn’t kept up with the times.

“Part of it is management and working environment. The building where Dallas processes permits is a ’60s-era bomb shelter (seriously),” Phil Crone responded to a comment on social media. “Also, zoning is a mess in Dallas with hundreds of PDs and other special districts that require many projects to have a meticulous review of often subjective items. That’s what is making it hard to farm out plan reviews to third parties — they can’t understand Dallas’s messed-up zoning.”

Unfortunately, the road to this point has been exceptionally rocky. In a memorandum to the Dallas City Council, Development Services’ executive in residence Will Mundinger detailed the delays encountered by his staff.

“We’ve had decent success getting individual Dallas Builders Association member projects on track,” Crone said. “Part of the advocacy for your project also means copying the councilmember where your project is located if/when you’re delayed. That said, I have no doubts that Will [Mundinger] and his team are working very hard on this and doing all they can with what the city manager has provided them.”

But change has been slow to occur, creating even more issues with builders.

“We’re only going on eight days and counting for a fence permit! That I’m having to pull because our fence company gave up trying!” said an exasperated Jeff Dworkin of JLD Custom Homes, a past president of the Dallas Builders Association. “Hopefully the meeting on May 18 will have some answers because Mundinger told the sub-committee at the meeting we spoke at months back they would have plans in place by May! As already said, this has gone on long enough!”

Ahead of the May 18 Dallas City Council briefing on the subject, the city manager’s office is asking those builders who have attempted to secure a permit to submit feedback on the process.

For those who wish to make their voices heard (again) the city has set up an online form here.

“The bottom line is, affected builders should take a few minutes and provide feedback through the survey,” said Dallas Builders Association executive officer Phil Crone. “This will help us make sure that the industry’s feedback is properly accounted for in their May 18 update.”

Those who wish to provide comments must submit them by Wednesday, May 11. Crone asks that those who wish to submit feedback on the issue view the city council briefing from May 2, 2022 (the Development Services briefing starts at 1:47).