Milpitas Building and Safety Department is touting a faster, easier way for residents to obtain residential permits online.

For a service that's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, residents can now log onto City of Milpitas' Web site and apply online to obtain building permits as well as related mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits.

"We've been working on this system for over a year," Milpitas Chief Building Official Keyvan Irannejad said.

The building permits went online about a month ago.

Using a personal computer and contacting the city's Web site at www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov, a resident can connect to Milpitas' building department.

Once there, a resident can access all construction requirements and fees; obtain certain types of permits online; check on a plan check status and obtain an electronic version of plan check comments; schedule inspections and check the status of an inspection; conduct a records search and check the permit history for a specific parcel, and provide answers to frequently asked questions.

Building permits are typically required for remodeling residential bathrooms, fireplace reconstruction, kitchen remodeling, re-roofing a home, skylight installation and swimming pool removals.

"The first online permit was issued on Feb. 27," Irannejad said. "It was for replacing a water heater."

For those who meet all permit requirements, building permits can be paid for online via credit card.

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Irannejad, the new system will cut down on city staff workload and make the process for residents to get permits more streamlined.

He suggested the less red tape residents have to confront at city hall, the more likely people will properly obtain building permits, which are required by law.

"It's about life safety," Irannejad said. "That's what we try to promote."

In addition, the building and safety department has implemented an integrated voice response system for inspection requests, at 586-2797.

By using this number, residents can listen to plan check results by phone, and obtain plan check comments via fax.

"The voice response system went live about a month ago," Irannejad said.

He added the phone number can mainly be used by residents to schedule an inspection by dialing in pre-specified inspection codes, which are available from the city.

"You're scheduling the inspection automatically," he said. "You can call at 5 a.m., and get your inspection the same day."

He added inspectors usually arrive within a set two-hour window.

He added plan check status for projects can also be checked by phone.

At city hall, an information kiosk area is set aside on the first-floor planning department where residents can use computer terminals to conduct inquiries into specific building records, architectural plans and other searches.

Irannejad claimed City of Milpitas is one of the few cities in the Bay Area that has such a system fully operational.

For more information, visit http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/citydept/building, or call the Milpitas Building and Safety Department at 586-3240.