If you’ve ever done any home improvement in Oakland — or hired someone to do it for you — then you know what a slog getting the right permits has been. Between going downtown, waiting in lines, and filling out paperwork by hand, obtaining even simple permits could eat up half a day.
At least, that’s how it used to be.
With new same-day digital permits, homeowners, architects and tradespeople can apply for, pay for and print permits online for a range of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, solar, reroofing and other non-structural building work that doesn’t require plan check. The whole process now takes just 18 minutes on average, according to the city…