Building Department Permit Technician

True North Compliance Services, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

True North Compliance Services, Inc. is seeking a Permit Technician to join its Building Services team in a municipal environment.

The role focuses on front-line public interaction, processing permit applications, and coordinating plan checks and inspections. The candidate should have a municipal background, strong interpersonal skills, and be willing to obtain the ICC Permit Technician certificate within 6 months.

Qualifications

• Municipal background with experience preferred.
• Must obtain ICC Permit Technician certificate within 6 months.
• Strong communication and public-facing skills required.
• Ability to process permit applications and coordinate plan checks and inspections.

Responsibilities

• Cover Building Services public counter, answer phone calls, process permit applications, intake plans and issue permits.
• Maintain communications with applicants, property owners, HOA, agencies and City departments.
• Answer technical questions on permit processing, fees, plan checks, inspections, and code inquiries.
• Input data into City permit tracking and cashiering systems; manage file storage and retrieval.
• Monitor permit status and notify applicants before expirations.
• Prepare routine reports on activity, fees, and staffing as required.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Patience

Customer service

Good listener

Work under pressure

Quick learner

Computer literacy

Education

2-year degree in architecture or construction technology

Tools

City permit tracking system

Cashiering system

Job description

Company Description: True North Compliance Services, Inc. is a full-service provider of Building, Fire, Planning, and Engineering services for public agencies and jurisdictions. The firm offers comprehensive support including plan review, building inspection, permit technician services, building department administration, code enforcement, planning, and fire services. As a boutique firm, True North emphasizes personal, attentive service tailored to each client’s needs. The company’s team includes over 60 licensed and certified professionals, offering both depth and breadth of expertise. Team members work collaboratively to support safe, compliant, and efficient development in the communities they serve.

Role Description: A permit technician is a front line staff who deals with the public and permit applicants all day long. The candidate must have good interpersonal skills, patient, pleasant personality, good listener, willingness to help, quick learner, good with computers, able to work in a hectic environment and under pressure, ability to defuse difficult situations and sometimes deal with angry customers. We are looking for someone with municipal background and experience. The job is at a government office. Must obtain ICC certificate as a Permit Technician within 6 months.

Here is a listing of typical duties of a permit technician:

a. Provide the services of a permit technician to cover the Building Services public counter, answer phone calls, process building permit applications, intake plans and issue permits.

b. Maintain communications with applicants, interested parties, property owners, homeowner associations, various governmental agencies, and other City departments. Respond to inquiries about projects from residents and applicants.

c. Answer technical questions of the public and City staff, and provide helpful information on permit processing, fees, plan check, inspections, and general Code inquiries.

d. Receive, process, and issue building permits, plan checks, and coordinate the plan check and inspection process, including the tracking, routing and storage of building plans and the filing of building permit applications. Input information into City’s computer tracking system including fees.

e. Ability to accept building permit applications and materials digitally.

f. Monitor and track the status of building permit applications and plan checks for expiration and develop a process to notify applicants prior to the expiration of their building permits.

g. Keep daily logs of building permit and inspection activities.

h. Submit monthly, quarterly and annual reports of Consultant’s activities to the City. The reports shall include, but not be limited to, the fees collected, reporting on SMIP allocations, the staffing levels provided, the staff hours expended, the number of permits issued, the number of inspections (by type) made, and other financial, operational, and statistical information pertinent to the Building Plan Check and Inspection services process.

i. Identify and collect all required fees for building permit applications and other Building Services.

j. Input information into the City’s permit tracking system and separate cashiering system.

k. Facilitate the collection of fees from other department and/or agencies that are due (as applicable) and payable prior to or concurrent with the issuance of a building permit.

l. Establish, maintain and update all forms in compliance City requirements, regulations, adopted standards, State or other laws and ordinances necessary for the operation of the Building Division, including "hand‐out" sheets which explain building permit application processing procedures.

m. Collect construction and demolition Waste Management Plan prior to building permit issuance and ensure construction and demolition recycling requirements are met prior to final inspection.

• The job is ideal for someone with a 2-year degree in architecture or construction technology.