How Small Cities Can Fix Staffing Shortages With Better Permitting Software

Cities across the U.S. are growing fast, which means more people are applying for building permits and seeking city services—but many cities don’t have enough staff to keep up. Long wait times for permits and inspections are frustrating homeowners, builders, and city workers alike.

At the same time, hiring more staff isn’t always possible because of tight budgets. So, how can small cities keep up? Many have found that modern permitting software helps staff work faster and get more done.

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Why Staffing Shortages Are a Big Problem

From 2020 to 2022, local governments lost over 627,000 workers. Many of these jobs have not been refilled because:

💰 Tight budgets make hiring difficult.

🤑 Workers are leaving for better pay at private companies.

😵‍💫 City staff are overloaded and burnt out.

Meanwhile, permit applications keep increasing, and there aren’t enough people to process them in a timely manner. Fewer staff + more permit applications = bigger backlogs and more frustrated residents.

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How Software Helps Small Cities Work Smarter

For many cities, hiring more staff just isn’t an option. Software can help staff get more done in less time. Here’s how:

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1. Online Portals: Less Paperwork, Less Confusion

With an online system:

✅ The public can submit applications online instead of filling out paper forms, reducing in-office visits.

✅ Staff receive complete applications to avoid wasting time asking for missing information or documents.

✅ Applicants can track their permit’s status online instead of calling city offices.

📌 Bottom Line: Less time spent on paperwork and phone calls = more time for important work.

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2. Electronic Plan Reviews = Quicker Approvals

Without software, different city departments mark up plans separately, which leads to:

🚫 Messy paperwork and email threads.

🚫 Lost corrections.

🚫 Slow approvals.

With electronic plan review, all corrections are made in the same document and automatically organized. This means:

✅ Automatically generated corrections reports ensure no lost comments.

✅ Departments review plans faster.

✅ Developers get their permits sooner.

📌 Bottom Line: Faster approvals keep projects moving and applicants happy.

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3. Mobile Inspections = Less Office Time

Many building inspectors waste hours driving back to the office to log their notes. With mobile inspections, they can:

✅ Complete inspections faster with automatic checklists.

✅ Upload notes and photos instantly from the field.

✅ Spend more time on inspections and less time on office work.

📌 Bottom Line: More inspections completed per day = faster CO issuance.

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4. Better Customer Service for the Public

When applicants don’t know what’s happening with their permits, they flood city offices with phone calls and visits. This slows down city workers and causes frustration for everyone.

With modern permitting software, the public can:

✅ Track applications online—no need to call or visit the office.

✅ Receive automatic updates when permit applications progress.

✅ Upload documents online instead of bringing them in person.

📌 Bottom Line: An easier process for residents means fewer phone calls and office visits for city staff.

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Why Small Cities Need to Upgrade Now

📉 Permit applications are increasing, but staff counts aren’t.

⚠ Tight budgets make hiring tough.

⏳ Paper-based processes and outdated software waste staff time.

Upgrading to modern permitting software helps cities handle more work with fewer resources, speeding up approvals and keeping residents happy.

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GovWell Helps Small Cities Work Faster & Smarter

GovWell is an easy-to-use permitting & licensing software made for cities smaller than 75k residents. It helps:

🏙 Building and development departments process permits, projects, and cases faster with intuitive forms, workflows, and electronic plan review.

📢 Government staff communicate with the public throughout applications and projects by automatically notifying applicants when things progress or action is required.

👨‍💻 Residents and businesses track applications in real time, reducing phones calls and office visits.

📱 Staff in the field save time with mobile functionality so work gets done directly in the field.

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