Hey everyone, has anybody else felt like the whole permitting and inspection thing in Bellingham has dragged on way longer lately? A couple years back I finally got around to finishing my garage conversion—thought it'd be straightforward since it was just adding living space without changing the footprint much. Submitted plans in early 2023, and what I figured would take a few months turned into almost a full year of back-and-forth revisions, waiting for reviews, then rescheduling inspections because someone was out sick or whatever. The inspectors themselves were decent when they showed up, but the lead time before anything happened felt endless. Wondering if others have seen similar slowdowns or if maybe things picked up speed recently with any new rules kicking in. What's your take on how it's been the last few years?
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zwilling-studio Group
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Yeah that garage story sounds frustratingly familiar. I've done a few smaller remodels around town over the past couple years, and honestly the wait for initial reviews has felt longer than it used to—especially once you hit anything needing planning input or extra checks. One kitchen reno I helped coordinate took way more rounds than expected just to get the green light. These days I tend to lean toward working with folks who really know the local quirks inside out, like when I found a solid general contractor bellingham crew that saved headaches by handling the paperwork side smoothly. It's not like it makes the city process instant, but having someone experienced navigating it definitely cuts down on silly delays from missing details. Still, overall it's tougher than it was pre-pandemic, no question.