Harris County Engineering Department - Construction Programs Division/HCTRA Review

Inspector were asked to come out to inspect to turn on gas, he keeps on saying the pipe is not up to code but did not write down what he wants the plumber to do. He has been there several time and of course each time cost money, still going back and forth between plumber that doesn't know what he wants and the insoector that is looking for something that he doesn't say. Called the office and people there literally yelled at me. I feel like I can't have a word for this and this is my house and it's costing me money and time. I cant complain to anyone either. Very stressful dealing with these people and talking about your right and knowing and saying stuffs, consumer has none of that at all. I feel so mistreated and can't complain to anyone, anyone........ Will there be anyone who can help???????

Dont give you information you need really could care less about your questions. Just plain rude.

Never...never no help. They tear up all the streets, diches... Water cannot flow. And we PAY for this crap

Will not answer or call back. Called 3 times last week and emailed them. Called them again this morning. Still nothing...

Francis was very friendly and tried to help me resolve my problems when it came to mobile home permits! Thank you!

Worse place to call or have to deal with. They must be miserable or hate their job. Something is going on for acting so rude.

They don't answer the phone, or call back. When I show up in person. No one knows anything about permits, or how to get them. They have sent me to 3 different offices, and a website. I got tired of trying. Built my stuff. I guess I'll worry about it, if they do their job enough to catch me.
:update:
My neighbor started building, no permits, breaking laws by building on the easement, raised their property, and built a building out of toothpicks pretty much.
I called them, they don't answer the phone, no response.
The moral is.
They are useless. You can just build anything, doesn't have to follow any laws.
This place needs defunding.

Safety is of no concern..... no ppe what so ever. Standing under suspended loads in an excavation. Again with ZERO ppe. Amateur hour at best!

Worst service, always on cell phones. Never answer the phone, I had to drive 1hr just to get help logging in online because I called for days and all calls were ignored. Gave me a permit with the wrong name on it.

Lazy useless organization !!! Your tax dollars at work !!!!

They were very helpful in advising us on a plan forward and what they felt would be required to permit properly. My only expectation, that was not met, was that they couldn't stamp my plans and a 3rd party design professional would need to be contracted. That was a perception error on my part and not a short cumming of theirs. Their website was useful. Applications, review sheets, inventory statements, etc were all there for download.

Never answered the phone guess that's not there job

Were very professional and helpful with me, it may take a while but everything went smooth...

I went there to get a permit for my place. I followed what they asked me to do. They told me they will notify me later. I waited eight days and nothing happen I had to go back there to check on the status of my permit. The guy told me that my request was rejected. They asked me to do it. So I did. Again a lady called me and asked me to provide a picture of my site I told her why you did not asked me this before. She was extremely . T make it short I had to go back there for the third time and speak to her supervisor who was nice and resolve the problem.

I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. The very helpful and professional woman at the front desk explain very clearly what needed to be done and she submitted everything for me. I expected to be here all day and even brought my lunch but I was gone almost before I got here.

It would be nice if the HCED staff specifically the cashier would inform you of how to use the kiosk and not just point to go pay over there. The office did not explain the steps in the process after payment is made. A little communication can go a long way in assisting during the process of applications.

Plan check don't even fallow their own set of standards. Then inspector tells you to change it and they recharge you for inspection and you have to go to the office to pay.

Very disorganized, can't talk to a real person when you call. After the April '16, they gave us a permit, then continued to harass us asking why we didn't have a permit.

Its too bad 1 star is as low as I can give:
Noone answers the phone
Noone answers emails or faxes
Its an awful government organization that provides nothing but delays and bureaucratic timewasting and money wasting.
We're turning more into a communist state than an entrepreneurial firepower that we used to be every single day this organization continues to exist.

Service sucks, called and left numerous messages and not received a call back yet. Permit been getting denied for almost a month and haven't the slightest clue why I'm being denied. Is there another avenue to get permits without going through them?

Pathetic people who have no life. Miserable inspector showed up to inspect driveway and the idiot said cut out 6inches more onto street without realizing it was following specs provided online then when told it follows specs he said no you need to fix it before I give you violation for putting up a fence, gravel, over grown grass and stuff that's not even under his scope of work. I hope these filthy people choke on our hard earned money and die as they witness their own house rot and their job lose prosper.

Needed to get a residential permit to rebuild in my neighborhood after hurricane Harvey. Initially, we dealt with them over the phone but and some point they stopped providing updates and they stopped answering the phone and they would not call you back if you left a message (their voicemail says they will call you back within one business day but they do not). Finally my husband and I decided to go in to the office and we got our permit in about 25 minutes. After 2 months of trying to get this done over the phone, it s frustrating that all we had to do was go into the office. Good service in the office but needs VAST improvements for providing service over the phone.

What a damn joke this office is. The few times a human actually answered the phone their first response was who gave you my name or this number. Now that's real customer service for an office that's supposed to help. I am going on two weeks now of constant calling with the same result. NOTHING. Just voicemail after voicemail with no return of the call. I gave your office a star only because it wouldn't let me take stars away. You don't deserve anything positive. If in fact you ever receive a positive review it has to be fake and posted by one of your pathetic, lazy, non caring employees

Horrible customer service! The person I was speaking to over the phone yelled at me simply because I asked her to repeat what she had said.

It s would be easier to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow than get a human with the ability to spell cat without spotting them the first two letters to get an actual answer. Worse run division in the county. If you need information about building codes or restrictions then stop the first homeless crack head and ask your question.

All of them are useless plain and simple. I drove a whole 1.5 hours to get here because they dont give you any resolution over the phone, and are very rude over the phone.
Here's a plan fire them all and bring in new competent workers, who can do the job or wants to actually help people figure it out!

Horrible service please hire new people ASAP
The people there don t want to work no one gives out information they just expect everyone to khow everything. They make so difficult for house owners to get permits

they treat us with respect and like family we didn't have any problem at all, good people to deal with .

Nobody answers the phone been calling for more then 2 hours. I even had to send the manager an email still waiting for him to reply

They don't answer phone calls and if they eventually answer their email, it will be to direct you to their website.

This employee attempted to run over me and threatened me at a poling location while I was inline to vote. I won't stop till he is fired

Can I give negative stars? Typical government workers with no sense of urgency or business. A necessary evil, unfortunately, to conducting business. The cashier clearly hates her job through her poor attitude and treatment of customers. Good thing she works there. She would be fired quickly anywhere else.