New Hanover County’s Development Services Department will soon be streamlining its permitting and development review process, according to a news release.  
 
Starting March 3, area builders and contractors will be able to make one single payment that covers all required permits for the same project, the Friday news release said.
 
Currently, customers must apply and pay separately for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for the same project.
 
Other procedure changes outlined in the news release include:

• One fee for permitting and inspections. One fee permitting replaces the "pay as you go" option to eliminate unnecessary steps and time delays from separate transactions currently needed for each permit or inspection.
• An online GovNow ePortal, which allows builders and contractors to track job progress, submit applications, make payments and request inspections online.​
• Single contact project coordination. Complex projects will be assigned a single contact to ensure the permitting process is efficiently completed.

 
A new fee structure is also being developed for the sweeping changes, the news release said.
 
Three community meetings have been scheduled to discuss the changes within the county’s development services department:

• From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the New Hanover County Library’s New Hanover Room, 201 Chestnut St.
• From 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the New Hanover County Executive Development Center’s Long Leaf Room, 1241 Military Cutoff Road.
• From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 at the New Hanover County Government Center’s Human Resources Training Room, 230 Government Center Drive.

 
For more information, contact the NHC Planning & Inspections departments at 910-798-7165 or 910-798-7175.