State of Michigan Launches Digital Platform for Construction Plans

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Michigan architects, engineers, and others involved in the construction and remodeling industries can electronically submit project plans for review by the Bureau of Construction Codes using the new Accela e-PlanCheck platform developed by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

The platform allows applicants to electronically submit one set of construction documents and site plans for new projects, additions, or renovations so that they can be reviewed, marked up, revised, and approved by licensing and regulatory affair personnel before final approval.

Applicants can also make corrections, resubmit plans electronically, and check the status of their applications around the clock.

“The new customer-friendly Accela program launched by (the licensing and regulatory affairs department) makes the electronic processing of plan reviews quicker, more predictable, and less costly and is a major accomplishment toward streamlining the construction process,” says Lee Schwartz, executive vice president for government relations at the Home Builders Association of Michigan in Farmington Hills. “For a builder or developer, time is literally money.”

Electronic plans submitted through the program will be stored in the cloud, while paper plans will continue to be warehoused.

In 2013, the Bureau of Construction Codes, which reviews 5,300 plans annually, implemented web-based integration of its construction, code enforcement, licensing, and case management activities.

“The ‘one-stop’ platform offers wide-ranging benefits and saves our customers valuable time and money, while allowing our department to make more efficient use of its resources,” says Shelly Edgerton, director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.