Remote · nationwide
Permitting research and submittal prep, anywhere in the country
Permitting is local, but the discipline of reading a code, finding the right pathway, and assembling a package that survives review is portable. This engagement brings 25+ years of that discipline to a jurisdiction neither of us has worked in yet.
What a remote engagement covers
The starting question on any project in any jurisdiction is the same: what does this parcel allow, which approvals does the project need, in what order, and what does a complete submittal look like. Answering it is research work — adopted code and local amendments, zoning and overlay maps, published checklists and handouts, fee schedules, the permit portal's own permit-type definitions, and the jurisdiction's posted review timelines.
From there the work is package assembly and correspondence: building the submittal to the jurisdiction's own checklist, coordinating whatever local professionals the project requires, and writing comment-by-comment responses when the correction letter arrives.
What stays with your local team
This is worth being explicit about. Engineering, architecture, surveying and geotechnical work must be performed by professionals licensed in your state, and construction must be performed by a contractor licensed there. CLD's role is research, coordination and advocacy — not the practice of a licensed profession in a jurisdiction where Carol isn't licensed.
Some jurisdictions also regulate permit expediting or require the applicant of record to be the owner or a licensed party. Where that applies, CLD works behind your name rather than in place of it, and will tell you up front if the local rules change the shape of the engagement.
Where remote works best
- Out-of-state property you own and can't easily visit
- A permit stalled in a jurisdiction where you have no relationships
- You have a local design team but nobody running the permit process
- You need to know whether a parcel is viable before traveling to see it
- A project inside a large Washington city where local code research is most of the work
How it's delivered
Written work product — a code research memo, a permit pathway map with sequencing and estimated timelines, and an assembled submittal package. Standing calls at whatever cadence the project needs. Everything documented, because on a remote engagement the record is the relationship.
Common questions
Can you consult on a project outside Washington?
Yes, in a research and preparation capacity. CLD investigates the local code and process, assembles submittal packages, and coordinates your local team. What CLD does not do is act as an engineer, architect, or licensed contractor in a state where that role requires local licensure — those roles stay with your local professionals.
How is a remote engagement different?
No site visits and no in-person agency meetings, which removes travel cost. Everything else — code research, permit pathway analysis, package assembly, correction responses — happens the same way.
What do you need from me to start?
Parcel number and address, whatever drawings or reports exist, and any correspondence you've had with the jurisdiction. Carol works from public records for the rest.
How do you learn an unfamiliar jurisdiction's code?
The same way it's done in a familiar one, just more deliberately: the adopted code and any local amendments, the published submittal checklists, the fee schedule, the permit portal's own definitions, and where possible a pre-application conversation with staff. The framework is consistent across the country even when the specifics aren't.
Have a project outside Puget Sound?
Send the address and whatever documentation exists. Carol will tell you whether a remote engagement is the right shape for it.