I talk to contractors and property owners every week who are frustrated with permitting. They assume the holdup is at the county — that someone in plan review is dragging their feet. But here is what I see over and over: the delay started before the submittal ever reached a reviewer.
Missing documents. Wrong form version. Incomplete owner information. A subcontractor whose license does not match what the jurisdiction expects. These are the things that get a permit kicked back before anyone even looks at the plans.
The good news? Most of these issues are preventable. This post walks through the most common pre-submittal mistakes MLPS sees and what you can do to avoid them.
Why pre-submittal prep matters
When a submittal comes in with something missing, it does not get a thoughtful review. It gets a correction notice. Then you fix it. Then you resubmit. Then it goes back in the queue — sometimes behind dozens of other projects.
That cycle can add weeks to a permit timeline. And in construction, weeks cost money. Crews wait. Materials sit. Homeowners get anxious. Most of it is avoidable with about thirty minutes of checking before you hit submit.
The most common missing pieces
Here is what MLPS consistently sees missing at the submittal stage. Go through this list before you send anything in:
1. Complete owner and contractor information
Every jurisdiction wants the same basics — but they want them in their own format. Owner name exactly as it appears on the property record. Contractor license number in the correct state format. Worker’s compensation exemption or certificate. Qualifier signature where required. If any of these are missing, the submittal stops right there.
2. The right form version
Counties update their forms regularly. A permit application downloaded six months ago might already be out of date. Always pull the form directly from the jurisdiction’s website on the day you plan to submit. MLPS sees submittals kicked back just because someone used last year’s application.
3. Scope of work that matches the plans
If the narrative says “interior remodel” but the plans show structural changes, the reviewer will flag it immediately. The scope description, the plans, and the valuation all need to tell the same story. Inconsistency is the fastest route to a correction notice.
4. Subcontractor documentation
If a sub is pulling a permit under your license, make sure their credentials are current with the jurisdiction. Some counties require subcontractor registration separate from the general contractor’s. If the sub is not on file, the permit will not move.
5. Digital file naming and format
Most Central Florida jurisdictions now require digital submittal. That means PDFs — not scanned images pasted into Word documents. File names should be clear and follow the jurisdiction’s naming convention if one exists. A file named “scan004.pdf” does not help anyone.
What to do before you submit
Build a quick pre-submittal checklist for your office. It does not need to be complicated. Here is what I suggest:
- Confirm the property address matches the county property appraiser record exactly.
- Verify contractor and subcontractor license status with the state and the local jurisdiction.
- Pull the most current permit application from the jurisdiction’s website.
- Open every attachment and confirm it is the right document, correctly oriented.
- Read the scope of work description aloud. Ask someone else to read it. Does it match the plans?
- Check the fee schedule and confirm the valuation calculation.
- Look at the jurisdiction’s current review timeline — some publish them. Know what to expect.
Fifteen minutes of checking before submittal can save three weeks of waiting in a correction queue. It really is that straightforward.
A real example from MLPS
A roofing contractor came to us last year after two failed submittals in Seminole County. The corrections were not about the roof design. One was a missing worker’s comp exemption form. The other was an outdated permit application — the county had updated it six weeks earlier and the contractor had not noticed.
Two correction cycles. Four weeks of waiting. All for two documents that take ten minutes combined to check. MLPS helped them organize a pre-submittal packet and the third submittal sailed through — approved on first review. The roof work was done two weeks later.
The plans were never the problem. The paperwork was.
When the system still does not cooperate
Sometimes you do everything right and the permit still stalls. Reviewer questions come back unclear. A new code requirement pops up mid-process. The online portal goes down for three days. Those things happen.
When they do, having someone who knows how to talk to the jurisdiction can make the difference. MLPS handles those conversations — we know the process, the terminology, and the people. If you are stuck, do not just resubmit and hope. Call someone who can help you understand what the reviewer is actually asking for.