Puslinch Perspective: How Cloudpermit Changes E-Permitting

E-permitting solutions digitalize the building permit process for municipal building departments, but not all solutions bring all parties involved in the process together. Cloudpermit sets a new standard.

Gerald Moore, President of RSM Building Consultants and Chief Building Official for the Township of Puslinch in his RSM capacity, helped Puslinch, a small municipality in south-central Ontario, transition to e-permitting in October of 2020.

RSM Building Consultants supports municipal building departments and has worked with over 50 municipalities in Ontario. The firm helps departments when they have an influx of building permits, or need expertise on complex projects, and supports departments with plans examinations, inspections, and trainings.

When asked why Moore decided to implement Cloudpermit in Puslinch, he shared his experience working with large cities and his frustration that the same software available to them was not accessible to small municipalities. Until Cloudpermit.

Cloudpermit impressed me because the software is intuitive, has a functional back-end, does not require IT support to run, and has the automation that I had only seen accessible to large municipalities,” explained Moore.

The switch from paper-based or legacy-systems to e-permitting is an important, yet often intimidating decision, because with some software, it can take years to see any benefits.

The COVID-19 pandemic sped up our move toward digitalization,” shared Moore. “The jump to e-permitting seemed overwhelming after hearing other municipalities share difficult, time-consuming, and expensive journeys to going digital. It seemed insurmountable until I talked with other small municipalities that use and love Cloudpermit, like the Municipality of Middlesex Centre, and learned about their positive experiences. The Cloudpermit team also gave me confidence because they really understand the building permit process and municipal building department processes.”

The Township of Puslinch implemented the software within three months.

Cloudpermit offers a unique take on digital building permits by inviting all those involved in a building permit to be part of the same process and work together online.

Cloudpermit changed my thinking on how the building permit process works because it brings everyone together,” Moore said. “Before, there was only a relationship between the municipality, designer, contractor, and sometimes, the owner. Now, with the Cloudpermit portal, the designer, heating contractor, septic installer, energy efficiency advisors, and all other parties are also involved in the process. It has been a great experience so far.”

The Township of Puslinch helps show municipalities of any size, especially small municipalities, that with Cloudpermit, the jump to e-permitting is invaluable.