Consulting is advisory work: no crews, no installs, only judgement from someone who holds the license and the credentials. This week the questions run from keeping a barn or workshop cool to who actually permits a renovation in your town. Each answer below points at the page that covers it properly.
Will a swamp cooler work in Florida's humidity?
The page explains how an evaporative cooling system works and where it stops working. The local fact: Palm Beach County air is humid for much of the year, so the temperature drop is smaller and the unit adds moisture, which is why open or well-ventilated spaces suit it better than a sealed, air-conditioned room. A new Wellington page now applies the same question to barns, lanais and workshops there.
Who can expedite a permit and read my contractor's bid?
One licensed person on the owner's side handles both: the permit package and plan-review follow-through, and the review of bids, schedule and change orders. The local fact: permit expediting is offered in Florida and in Palm Beach County, and the advisory role stays separate from construction.
Does Delray Beach permit the way the county does?
No. Delray Beach is an incorporated city, and its Development Services Building Division at 100 NW 1st Avenue handles permit applications, which is a different office from the Palm Beach County Building Division. Some addresses with a Delray Beach mailing address sit outside city limits, so the first check is which office your parcel belongs to.
What should I expect from a Jupiter permit?
Jupiter is an incorporated town. Its Building Department at 210 Military Trail takes applications, plan-review status and inspection scheduling through the online CDS portal, and the town sits in the Wind-Borne Debris Region, so openings must be impact-rated or shuttered to approved product.
Where does a Royal Palm Beach permit file lose time?
In the application. The Village Building Division at Village Hall, 1050 Royal Palm Beach Boulevard, takes applications through e-permitting, and a file missing a product approval number, a clear scope of work or a signature goes back for resubmittal and waits its turn again.
Who is the City, and who is the county, in West Palm Beach?
West Palm Beach is the county seat and it permits for itself. The City's Development Services Department, Building Division, handles applications, plan review and inspection scheduling, and the Palm Beach County Building Division covers unincorporated areas instead.
What should a Royal Palm Beach bid say, and who reads it?
An owner's representative reads the bid for you. The local fact: all of Royal Palm Beach is in the Wind-Borne Debris Region, so every opening is impact-rated or shuttered to approved product, and an ordinary-window line item on a bid is a red flag.
Also on the Consulting hub
The Consulting hub lists every engagement. Everything on it is advisory, and all of it rests on a Florida Certified General Contractor license (CGC1528750), a RESNET Certified HERS Rater credential (RTIN 4516301), a LEED Accredited Professional credential and an MBA.