The Struggles of Legacy Permitting Software in Local Government: Why It's Time for a Change

The Struggles of Legacy Permitting Software in Local Government: Why It’s Time for a Change

Permitting software should make life easier for both government staff and the public—saving time, reducing manual tasks, and helping local governments do more with less. But for many small and mid-sized governments, outdated systems cause challenges that slow down development, overload staff, and frustrate residents trying to navigate the process.

1. A Frustrating Experience for the Public

Many legacy systems lack an easy-to-use online portal, making it difficult for residents and contractors to submit applications, check statuses, or get answers. When systems are confusing or slow, people resort to calling or visiting government offices, creating extra work for staff. Instead of streamlining permitting, outdated software turns simple tasks into headaches for everyone involved.

2. Increased Workload for Staff

What was supposed to be a tool for efficiency has instead become a burden. Staff spend too much time working around rigid features, manually entering data, and troubleshooting software that should be making their jobs easier. High workloads mean less time for customer service, planning, and other critical duties.

3. Outdated and Clunky Interface

Legacy systems often look and feel outdated—more similar to old operating systems like Windows XP than modern platforms like iOS on your iPhone. These clunky interfaces make training difficult, slow down work, and create unnecessary friction for both staff and applicants. Worse, many systems lack flexibility, making it very difficult to adapt to growing demand or new regulations.

4. No Mobile Access for Field Work

Building inspectors and code enforcement officers need access to their permitting platform in the field, but many older platforms don’t support mobile access. That means staff in the field must return to the office to enter updates, making their work take longer to get done and delaying approvals for contractors who need timely responses to move projects forward.

5. Poor Customer Support

When permitting software is difficult to use, that often means more support inquiries from the public and staff.  With an uptick in issues, government staff may wait days or even weeks for a resolution, leading to delayed permit processing and frustrated residents. In some cases, support is only available at an extra cost, making it even harder for small and mid-sized municipalities to get the help they need.

6. High Costs and Security Risks

Maintaining old systems is expensive and risky. IT teams spend too much time patching outdated software, and security vulnerabilities could put sensitive data at risk. Many legacy systems also charge significant fees for simple updates, support requests, and data storage increases, making improvements costly and difficult to implement.

Cloud-Based Solutions Are the Future

Modern, cloud-based permitting solutions solve these problems by:

• Automating approvals and reducing paperwork.
• Integrating with other local government systems to eliminate duplicate work.
• Providing an intuitive interface for both staff and citizens.
• Offering mobile access so staff in the field can update records in real time.
• Improving security with automatic updates and data backups.

The Time to Upgrade Is Now

Many local government leaders hesitate to upgrade, fearing high costs or complex transitions. But there are now solutions specifically designed for small and mid-sized governments, with simple implementation and ongoing support. The benefits: faster turnaround times, happier staff and residents, and long-term cost savings—far outweigh any short-term challenges of making the switch.

Why GovWell?

• Built specifically for small and mid-sized governments, ensuring that you get a system tailored to your community’s size and budget.
• Electronic plan review built in, making it easy to manage and approve applications all in one place, on one platform.
• Optimized for mobile inspections, allowing field staff to update records in real-time from anywhere.
• Highly customizable with no-code configuration, so it adapts to your local government’s specific workflows and needs.
• Unlimited users and data storage, so you never have to worry about extra fees or capacity limitations.
• Industry-leading customer support for both government staff and the public, with humans responding as fast as one minute via chat, phone, or email.

GovWell is here to help your community modernize and streamline permitting, licensing, and development processes with a flexible, intuitive, and cost-effective solutions.

Is your municipality ready to move forward? Let’s talk.