Construction is under way, you are miraculously meeting all deadlines and will probably be finished next month....
Then you get a phone call... and it looks like your permit has expired...
This is a nightmare scenario for all parties involved in the project as you know this will lead to a lot of time and money being wasted in order to procure yet ANOTHER permit.
Don't be that guy or gal.
Extend your permits! And do so with ample time (at least 2-3 weeks) to ensure you don't hit any snags along the way as we know permitting offices can be.... difficult.
How to extend a permit in Washington, D.C.
First of all, you can't extend a permit that is already expired. At the job site, keep an eye on the expiration date, write a reminder on your calendar, set up an alert, write it on your bedroom wall if you have to (don't do this).
Our recommendation is to set a reminder 3 weeks prior to the expiration date. This usually gives us more than enough time to ensure there are no delays with your project.
Your permit will expire if no work is done within a year of its issuance. Meaning, if you are ahead of the game and have all your permits in hand for longer than 1 year before any work starts they will expire and you'd have to start all over...yikes.
Each extension grants you 6 additional months but keep in mind that a grand total of 4 extensions are allowed not to exceed 2 years in total.
Extending your permits are undoubtedly the best choice if your project needs more time. Starting the permitting process from scratch will never be as cost effective as extending.