Don't Overlook This Essential Element of a MakeSafe Report
When dealing with a Make Safe Violation in Philadelphia, most property owners focus on the obvious elements—structural reports and construction plans. However, there are hidden but equally crucial components that can make or break your permit approval. Understanding these elements can prevent delays, application denials, and unnecessary fines.
In this article, we’ll highlight a critical but often overlooked element of the Make Safe Report: the Scope of Work. We’ll also cover common application mistakes and how to avoid them, ensuring a smooth approval process.
Scope of Work Outside of Violation
When addressing building violations through a Make Safe Permit, it's essential to stay within the specific scope outlined by the City of Philadelphia. Including work outside the cited violations can result in costly delays or outright permit rejection. Here's how to stay compliant and efficient during the process.
How to Stay Within Scope
Look up the property on atlas.phila.gov to pull the official violation report and identify exactly what needs to be corrected.
Ensure all violation numbers are clearly listed in your Make Safe report and accompanying plans.
Only include items directly related to the violations in your Make Safe documentation—adding unrelated work will lead to a permit denial or revision request.
Any additional work not covered under the violations must be filed as a separate permit application after the Make Safe permit has been approved and closed out.
Keeping your scope limited to only the cited violations ensures a smoother permitting process, prevents unnecessary setbacks, and helps close out the violation efficiently.
Avoiding Common Application Denials
Many Make Safe applications face delays or outright denials due to preventable mistakes. Here are the top reasons applications get rejected and how to avoid them:
Missing or unstamped structural plans – Always have plans stamped by a licensed engineer or architect.
Work outside of the scope of violation – Make safe plans can only address the violations. If other work is shown the plans will be denied. Additional work can be presented in a building permit after the make safe is closed out.
Incomplete or inaccurate reports – Ensure your structural report provides detailed descriptions of the required work, shows photos of existing conditions, and includes both a report and plans to accompany it.
Hiring an unlicensed contractor – Only L&I-approved, licensed, and insured contractors can perform Make Safe work.
Incorrect fee payments – Double-check permit fees based on the project’s scope to avoid processing delays.
By proactively addressing these issues, property owners can ensure that their Make Safe Permit is processed without unnecessary setbacks.
If you are in need of a MakeSafe Plan and Report, The JaneDrawsPlans team specializes in precise, code-compliant Make Safe reports and plans that get approved—fast. Schedule a consultation with us today.
