You know a building official is doing a good job when you don’t notice them. They’re out there quietly ensuring construction is safe and buildings will last. However, too many municipal managers find themselves micromanaging their building departments, worrying about staffing and scheduling, and fielding calls from frustrated contractors.

McKenna can help. In addition to our team of planners, McKenna has a deep bench of qualified Building Officials, Fire Marshals, Plan Examiners, Building, Mechanical, and Plumbing Inspectors, and Permit Technicians. We are behind the scenes serving Building Departments around the Midwest by interacting with business owners and residents, and supporting efficient, code-compliant development procedures. Some communities may be wondering what the benefits are to exploring outsourced building services as opposed to in-house, full-time staff. Here’s our take.

Flexible Staffing

Outsourced building services can flex with demand. During peak construction season, communities can gain access to additional inspectors and building officials to keep development moving full steam ahead, while slower winter periods may require less labor. This flexibility helps communities align their staffing with their needs, while keeping costs down year-round.

In-house building services that are led by just one or two full-time staff members may become interrupted during staff absences or in cases of turnover, and any vacant positions can create permitting and inspection backlogs. Outsourced staffing can quickly adapt, with qualified professionals ready to fill in the gaps where needed, often on short notice.

Predictable Costs and Reduced Long-Term Liabilities

Municipalities are constantly asked to do more with less revenue; outsourcing building services can support healthy budgets by tailoring the amount of building services (and therefore, the costs associated with building services) to exact needs. This eliminates the ongoing expenses associated with full-time staff (including full salaries and benefits, training, and equipment) by reducing long-term employment-related costs, such as retirement contributions and pensions.

In this way, outsourcing building services can free up public resources (and municipal leadership capacity) for other high-priority projects.

Access to a Qualified Network of Building Professionals

At McKenna, we like to say that our clients gain access not just to their assigned staff member, but to our entire firm of planning and building professionals. Our Building Services Team has rich experience in many facets of trades, code enforcement, and municipal operations, gathered from across diverse communities with varying needs and capacities. This collective knowledge allows us to share best practices and technical resources, problem solve, and tap in specialized expertise to handle complex development challenges whenever needed. This level of service often provides a higher level of professional support than what can be maintained in-house.

Outsourced building services offer our clients greater flexibility, broader expertise, and more reliable service without requiring them to carry the full cost and administrative responsibility of maintaining all building services in-house.

Curious if our Building Services team can support your community’s development? Reach out to us today.