Reflections Upon a Successful but Surprising Electrical Plan Back Check on the Day of Saint Patrick

I'm not a contractor. I've never dealt with The City of Fresno from the perspective of a developer. I've never even carted so many large sheets of paper around. So the entire process of getting this building permit is, shall we say, "different" from everything else I've experienced. (And I'm told that even in the world of plan checks the Fresno ones are an anomaly for being so plodding.)

Anyway, I get to the Development department receptionist ("Hi, Joyce!") not really knowing what to expect. I don't know if I need to resubmit the electrical plans or what. I figured it was going to be a resubmission and having to deal with the front desk again. I had questions prepared about the parking situation and related things. I didn't even know what to ask of or say to Joyce. She and I talk for a bit about what I'm actually doing and she says I needed to have made a "back check" appointment. I thought to myself, "Oops" and figured I'd just go ahead and make the appointment while standing there and have to come back. No real problem. (I have learned a higher level of patience through all of this.)

But, Joyce called the guy who I would have to do the back check with and asks if he can come up for a back check. And he can and does.

So I take this huge bundle of plans into the "back check room" and meet with the guy.

Five minutes or so later, I walk out with stamped and approved electrical plans.

For a few short seconds with the guy, I thought I might be getting a building permit, too! But, I still have to wait for the Health Department's approval. Again, no big deal. (They are supposed to be done by Monday, March 21, 2011.) Even if it were later than the 21st they were supposed to be done, what's a few more days at this point, eh?

So, that's where we are now. I'll have to get in touch with the nice folks at the Health Department to find out what's going on some time today.