About BuildSA

BuildSA enables our customers to conduct business with Development Services online. 

Access Online Services

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Using Build SA

Customers seeking to build, develop or improve property in the City of San Antonio and surrounding areas can:

• Submit applications
• Make payments
• Interact with the city and partnering agencies staff

Development Services and Partnering Agencies are also able to use BuildSA.

Recommended Browsers

We recommend using the following browsers:

• Firefox
• Chrome
• Edge
• Safari

Features & Capabilities

Features include:

• Finding the appropriate application and helpful tips about the application process
• The ability to submit applications 24 hours a day/7 days a week
• Scheduling and tracking inspections online from any computer or from a mobile device
• Access to submit online payments using credit card, electronic check or escrow account
• The ability to track application activity and view real time status
• System generated email notifications for activities such as:
  • application confirmation
  • inspection status
  • application results
• The ability to submit documents electronically for review

DSD Staff and Partnering Agencies now have access to new capabilities including:

• View and manage tasks using a workflow management system
• Use a single source of information to deliver all services
• Receive and process documents submitted electronically
• Benefit from BuildSA's capability to generate appropriate application fees
• Seamless access and integration to other systems such as:
  • City's Point of Sale System
  • CPS' Work Order System
  • Lagan (311 System)
  • Bexar County Appraisal District System (BCAD)
• The ability to view and track all activity by site or location address, helping them make better informed decisions

The Plan Room

The Digital Plan Room is the first and only electronic plan review plug-in. It was built for government regulatory agencies using the Accela Building & Planning software.

With the Digital Plan Room, both customers and staff enjoy a purpose-built and seamlessly embedded user experience within BuildSA. This means all users have a shorter learning curve and easier electronic plan review experience.

View Plan Room Tutorials

For information about the Plan Room, contact the BuildSA OCM Team.

BuildSA Details

Product Owner

Patricia Cavazos, Development Services Administrator, is the BuildSA Product Owner for DSD. The role of the BuildSA Product Owner is to bring the voice of the customer and the BuildSA teams together. 

The Product Owner is also responsible for managing BuildSA priorities to achieve the desired outcome that DSD seeks to accomplish.

Accela

Accela is the company providing the software system. Through its Accela Civic Platform, DSD can streamline the delivery of its services to our customers

To learn more about Accela and their government solutions, visit the Accela website.

Implementation

November 30, 2020 was the final launch date for BuildSA. The following departments use it for projects:

• Building Development
• Code Enforcement
• Land Development

Systems Replaced by BuildSA

Most of the systems Development Services used previously were either replaced or integrated. Examples include:

• Hansen
• ECCO
• LDS
• TPLT
• Customer Alert System (CAS)
• Dynamic Portal

Electronic Plan Review

The previous electronic plan review system was replaced with BuildSA's integrated e-Permit Hub. With BuildSA's integrated solution, customers now submit their documents with their online application.

BuildSA's solution allows concurrent reviews and better collaboration among the various agencies, providing customers with clear and fast feedback.

Future Improvements

Our customers have been critical in identifying opportunities for enhancements. These solutions will be help make long-term planning and improvement decisions for the system.