Apparently you never been on the other end. I will take a wild guess that you work for whatever "fill in the blanks" bureaucracy.
I'm all for permits, and I'm well aware why they are required. The problems are these:
1: Why can't we submit a permit online? and print it online? Why do I have to drive for couple hrs just to drop a permit and then couple hrs more to pick it up?
I know what you'll say next:"well you need drawings". Sure. Why can't the city get a printer and charge me couple bucks a page. Sure as hell is cheaper than driving around for 4 hrs.
And I know what you'll say next also: "well you need a notarized signature on the application". Why can't I just use a PIN I establish with the AHJ? And have the application signature separate mine from the owner (so I can use my PIN online and have the owner drop his signature).
2: My WC expires in February, my liability in May, my license/occupational license in August/September. I know my carrier sends them hard copies every time, but WITHOUT FAIL "they" always claim "they" don't have it.
3: Why do I even need drawings for adding a general purpose receptacle? It doesn't change load calculations and there's no limit on how many general purpose receptacles you put on a circuit.
4: I know it takes time to do inspections, therefore it costs money, but no matter what logic you use it's VERY HARD for anyone to swallow a $100.00 permit fees (never seen less than this down here) for a $150.00 job. And that's not including time to cover #1, 2, and 3 plus the inspection times.
5: Furthermore to #4, why do I need inspections on a $150.00 job? Before you jump out of your chair consider this. An engineer can sign off an inspection(on an honor system), why can't I? I have a master license, I can do drawings (to a certain extent), my liability insurance is my biggest deterrent in doing the wrong work (and not inspections). There's thousand way to hide things from inspectors, not to mention how much can they really inspect in 5 minutes most inspectors spend on a job under 1K?
6: Planning? Down here we have about 30 cities in one county alone. As much as I'd like to drop 10 permits at the same time in one location it's not gonna happen. We have cities that don't even have building departments per say (they use other cities departments), but sure as hell you have to send them an insurance certificate with THAT city name on it. Never mind that I'm already registered in Weston, I have to register with city of Southwest Ranches, even though Southwest Ranches uses the Weston building department.
And I can go on to about 20 points, but I'll stop here.
I think the real problem is not the goverment or how they operate the enforcement of permits and inspections, it is the pure lack of knowledge and poor planning of some of the contractors.
Some contractors just don't understand why the city requires permits and inspections, their knowledge of the inspection system is it's a government department that raises revenues for the city by requiring permits and inspections
The fact is, the inspection departments in every city exist for the beneifit of every property owner.
Many years ago the insurance underwriters decided to rate every city, town in the country to establish a rating system for insurance cost standards, the insurance industry rates a city on things like the number of fire houses and their distance from an insures property, does a city have fire hydrants, paid or volunteer fire companies and many other standards including building construction.
In turn for good insurance rates and ratings, cities (Government) operate inspection departments.
The time it takes and the money for a plan review will differ from one city to another but remember the money that fuels that review comes the permit fees NOT from the city tax payer.
Learn about your city construction department and on your next visit you may have a better feeling
this land of ours is a great place ask any city cab driver.