To say the City of Madisonville, Tennessee, is booming right now is an understatement.
Chief Building Official Kevin Standridge likens what’s happening there to an “explosion.” This East Tennessee community, with roughly 5,100 residents in 2020, is buzzing with excitement as it gears up for more than 300 new homes and several large commercial projects coming to town all at once.
It’s unlike anything the city has ever gone through before — and it was becoming a big challenge as the one person who oversees much of the community development process in Madisonville realized he wouldn’t be able to keep up with it much longer.
We’ve had development, but nothing to this extent,” he said. “For years, they were able to function with one individual doing this because the volume wasn’t here to require more. Now, and these past two years, and progressively going forward, it is a boom.”
The Problem
Paper-Based Processes Slowed Down Development
Despite his best efforts, Standridge said he was only able to be about 60 percent efficient in his work.
While his primary role is Chief Building Official, he also oversees fire codes and code enforcement. He’s also a part-time police officer, oversees beer sales in the municipality, and handles building inspections and issuance of building permits directly.
Not long ago, his work involved “old-school” processes that:
- Slowed things down every step of the way
- Didn’t give him real-time access to property information
- Required inefficient, duplicate work
I was having to go back to my office and dig through paperwork,” he said.
He could see the writing on the wall as development started to increase in the community: Unless he made a big change soon, he was going to enter “failure mode” keeping up with everything.
The Solution
Cloudpermit's Modern Community Development Software
When Standridge heard about Cloudpermit’s building permitting software, he knew it was the tool he needed to stay on top of his growing community’s development.
The platform went live in early 2025, and he said it’s already “revolutionized” the way he works in ways big and small. Eventually, he’d also like to start using the software’s code enforcement tools to streamline development even more.
The modern permitting software enabled Standridge to make the most of his time with:
- Mobile inspections in the field — even offline
- Streamlined workflows and faster reviews
- Easier processes for citizens and contractors
Cloudpermit’s mobile inspections app has helped him become more efficient, enabling him to instantly access all property information, upload photos and notes, and complete inspections wherever he is.
When I go and do the inspection on my iPad, once I leave, I’m done,” he said. “It completely eliminates me having to go sit down in my office and do this because once I document it within Cloudpermit, take my pictures, and complete that inspection, it’s done until the next one.”
He relies on the software’s workspaces to easily sort through his tasks each day, keeping track of projects in various steps of development without missing any important details or deadlines.
Standridge said the easy-to-use software has also improved the process for residents and contractors. So far, users have told him they’re happy to have a modern system to apply for permits and be kept in the loop every step of the way.
With Cloudpermit, you don’t have all these crazy steps and hoops you’ve got to jump through,” he said. “You just progress from filling out your name and creating your account to I’m ready to sign off and send it to the building official with the click of a button.”
The Future
Improved Efficiency for Madisonville's Thriving Community
Within the next six to eight months, Standridge says the community anticipates construction to start on hundreds of houses and several large commercial projects:
- An 80-acre farm will be annexed into the city and become more than 200 homes
- Three other residential developments with 20 to 40 homes each are moving forward
- Five to six major commercial developments are expected soon
- A potential hotel and restaurant could start construction in the coming months
That’s a huge boom,” he said. “If you’ve seen our municipality, you would say that it's crazy because we’re not that big. To have that type of development want to be here, it’s just amazing.”
- Kevin Standridge, Chief Building Official for the City of Madisonville
This level of construction is a strong sign of a thriving community, and Standridge said local officials are very supportive of this growth. Even though he’s a person who “runs from absolutes,” which is why he would never say he’s 100 percent efficient in his work, Standridge said it’s clear to him that Cloudpermit has maximized what he can do in a day.
If this would’ve happened a year and a half ago, I would’ve been ate alive and spit out in pieces,” he said.
He says he’s now 95 percent efficient in his work, and he's not alone anymore — he has Cloudpermit as his trusted partner as he works through this time of growth in Madisonville.
There’s no way I could do this boom in development without this software,” he said. “That’s a very strong statement, and that’s just the truth because there’s no way I could keep up with this.”
The Cloudpermit Difference
Digital Transformation for Local Governments of All Sizes
Cloudpermit’s building permitting software has transformed how Standridge does his important work in shaping the future of Madisonville, and he’s excited about what’s ahead.
Cities of all sizes across America have realized that Cloudpermit can help them get more done and speed up workflows — even if they’re trying to make it all work with a slim staff and booming development.
Book a demo with us today to see what Cloudpermit can do for your community.
