The County of San Mateo Planning and Building Department is currently accepting applications for Building Permit Technician I/II/III based on qualifications and experience. Building permit technicians assist property owners, contractors, and architects apply for and secure the necessary building permits to allow for the construction, renovation, upgrade, demolition, or repair of residential, institutional, and commercial projects throughout unincorporated San Mateo County.

Under general supervision, process building permit applications for new construction or building modifications within the unincorporated county; receive plans, calculate fees, route plans for professional review; and confer with applicants regarding County procedures and plan requirements.

Building Permit Technician I: $59,696.00 - $74,588.80 Annually
Building Permit Technician II: $70,699.20 - $88,420.80 Annually
Building Permit Technician III: $74,776.00 - $93,496.00 Annually

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Building Permit Technician I is the entry level class in the Building Permit Technician series. Initially under close supervision, incumbents learn County policies and procedures related to the building permit process. As experience is gained, there is greater independence of action within established guidelines. This class is flexibly staffed with Building Permit Technician II and III, and incumbents may advance to the higher level after gaining experience and demonstrating proficiency which meet the qualifications of the higher-level class.

Building Permit Technician II is the journey level class in this series, fully competent to perform the full range of permit processing activities, using department instructions to guide decision making and support from supervisor and management in non-routine circumstances.

Building Permit Technician III is the advanced level class in the Building Permit Technician series. This class is distinguished from Building Permit Technician II by the performance of the full range of more complex and difficult permit processing activities. Employees at this level assist in training less experienced permit technicians and provide assistance with difficult permit cases. Positions in this class series are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the I and II levels based on criteria listed below.

At the discretion of the department, incumbents in the Building Permit Technician II level can advance to the III level provided the incumbent has:

• 
  Completed three or more years of journey level experience.
• Consistently performed a full range of duties independently and with minimal guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve complex and difficult permit applications, questions, applicant complaints and situations.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple specialized, complex and sensitive permit processing activities/projects.
• Met or will meet certification requirements.

Examples Of Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• 
  Process building permits, ranging from simple to complex, including those focused on resolving violations, tenant improvement and commercial projects, new single-family dwellings, additions, remodels, photovoltaics, accessory dwelling units, etc.
• Apply changing legislation and regulations affecting building requirements to permit processing policies and procedures.
• Determine the types of inspections and review requirements for the construction proposed.
• Read and review building plans and specifications for completeness and conformance to permit requirements.
• Check the addresses and parcel numbers for any previous work or departmental actions regarding the property.
• Verify that the required permits from Public Works or other external agencies have been obtained.
• Communicate and route sets of plans to various County departments and consultants for review and sign off; track plans and ensure their return in a timely manner.
• Provide information to applicants and others regarding permitting processing and procedures, application submittals, how to correct deficiencies and violations in original applications, and the process for reapplication.
• Promptly identify and take appropriate action to resolve problem applications.
• Assign street addresses to new sites, including reviewing the parcel map, and determining the appropriate number of addresses needed for a particular parcel.
• Coordinate projects requiring complex and/or difficult permit processing activities.
• Support and assist new and less-experienced permit technicians with permit processing policies and procedures, difficult cases, applicant complaints, and other situations.
• Assist in researching, recommending, and implementing improved work processes and improving customer service.
• Work collaboratively, cooperatively, and effectively with co-workers (including fellow permit technicians, planners, building inspectors, and code compliance officers), other County departments, and outside agencies to ensure timely responses to building permit referrals.
• Perform research for Public Records Act requests.

Qualifications

Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as defined under Distinguishing Characteristics.

Knowledge of:

• 
  Uniform Building Code sections as related to the permit process and inspection procedures.
• Various construction types and building permitting and inspections processes and requirements.
• Applicable fire, zoning and related laws and regulations.
• Office practices and procedures, including operation of PCs, common Microsoft programs, and standard office equipment.

Skill/Ability to:

• Learn and use online permitting (Accela) and online collaboration (Bluebeam) software programs for processing, reviewing, routing, and consolidating comments on permit applications.
• Provide a high level of customer service to applicants.
• Interpret and apply architectural and building code knowledge to permit review and processing.
• Read and interpret building plans, related construction documents, and various maps.
• Calculate square footage from plans.
• Apply and verify accuracy of fees and penalties for permit applications.
• Interpret, explain, and apply policies, laws, and procedures regarding the permit process and County zoning ordinances.
• Perform detailed, technical, and specialized permit support work.
• Organize and prioritize work and follow-up on assignments with a minimum of supervision.
• Organize and maintain accurate files and records.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

Building Permit Technician I: Two years of experience in general clerical, office support, or secretarial support work, preferably in building, architecture, or related field.

Building Permit Technician II: One year of experience in reviewing building plans and processing building permits and inspection reports.

Building Permit Technician III: Three years of experience in reviewing building plans and processing building permits and inspection reports.

License/Certification: At the III level, must possess and have ability to maintain a current International Code Council Permit Technician Certification, or obtain certification within one year of appointment.

Application/Examination

Open and Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, SEIU or AFSCME represented extra-help, or temporary position prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: Pass/Fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Week of May 22, 2023
Civil Service Panel Interview: June 12 and/or 13, 2023

HR Analyst: Sedrick Dixon (050423) (Building Permit Technician I/II/III J060/J061/J066)