Need a Building Permit? Stamford Has An App For That

In an attempt to streamline customer service and reduce the need for residents to conduct business in person with the Stamford Building Department, the city has launched an online permitting system.

Mayor Michael A. Pavia announced on Friday the launch of the Phase I of the city’s online permitting software, and of “MyStamford”, the 311 smartphone app.  

Here are the details as released by the mayor's office:

“Stamford Permit” will provide users with online access for permit applications and streamlined review, approval and issuance of permits.  In addition, the system provides the applicant with real-time tracking of departmental sign-offs and inspection efforts. Phase I will provide access to all types of building permits, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, gas, and demolition.

“This is a critical addition to the City’s repositioned website with my goal of making City services as user friendly as possible. The system will also provide real-time, web-based data available to all departments which will serve to streamline the permitting workflow.  This change will save the applicant and the City time and money, while providing a much more user-friendly experience,” said Mayor Pavia.

With today’s launch of Phase I, applicants seeking building permits are invited to use one of the kiosks available in the building department lobby, located on the 7th floor of the Stamford Government Center.  Customer service representatives from the building department will be available to assist applicants.  It is anticipated that on November 18th, the site will allow users to enter their applications electronically from the convenience of their own home or office, or they are welcome to continue to use one of the building department’s kiosks with customer service support. 

This technology will allow residents and businesses to apply, pay for and receive permits from the City online. For most permits, citizens will no longer be required to travel to the Government Center to apply for their permits. Users will also be able to track the status of their permits as they move through the approval process. On the back end, the City will use the system to manage the permit review and approval processes electronically, streamline its services, and develop an electronic database of activity for future reference.

“Combining the expertise of our dedicated and professional staff with this new on-line technology will allow us to provide better and more efficient service,” stated Robert Demarco, Stamford’s Chief Building Official.

Future Rollout Plans

• Phase II is anticipated to launch on December 3rd, will include all health department permits, such as restaurant, septic, housing and beauty.
• Phase III will include all permits relating to the Fire Marshall’s Office, such as alarms, suppression and blasting permits. 
• Phase III is anticipated to launch on December 17th.

The software was developed by ViewPoint, a Massachusetts company that specializes in software for municipal governments and has installed similar software in cities and towns throughout New England. “We are very excited about working with Stamford,” said Nasser Hajo, ViewPoint CEO and Chief Technology Officer. “We have a proven system that has been well received by many cities and towns in their ability to provide more efficient and higher quality service.

To access the new online permit system, please visit www.stamfordct.gov and click on the “Stamford Permit” link.

MyStamford 311 app

The Stamford 311 system already has a successful track record through the Virtual Government Center. This latest enhancement only serves to make it easier for citizens to alert the city to any issues or questions they may have regarding city services. “I am excited about the new function and pleased that Stamford’s citizens will now be able to use this state-of-the-art technology to interact with Government Center,” said Mayor Pavia.

The MyStamford 311 app was designed by GovQA, a leading provider of Citizen Request Management solutions for city and county governments.  We are proud to announce our partnership with Stamford as our premiere client in Connecticut and we are looking forward to supporting these initiatives into government transparency and accessibility. “GovQa is proud to join with Mayor Pavia and the City of Stamford in delivering state of the art technology solutions for eGovernment access for citizens,” shared Will Repole, Vice President of Product Development, WebQA, Inc.    

The “MyStamford” 311 app is now available for free download for Apple and Android phones from their respective online stores.