PSA: My entire project file got corrupted at the city permit office in Austin because I didn't check the export settings.

I sent over a full set of residential plans as a basic PDF, but their system needed each sheet as a separate, flattened file, and the clerk said the upload failed silently, locking my application for a week and forcing a full redraw from an older backup.

3 comments

3 Comments

reed.blake17d ago

Why wouldn't they have a clear upload spec sheet posted? That silent fail is the worst part, feels like they set you up to lose.

sam_harris6817d ago

Honestly seems like a basic file prep mistake to me. I mean, redrawing from a backup is a pain but calling it a full corruption feels like a stretch. Silent fails are annoying but most permit portals have those weird rules buried in their help section. Maybe it's just me but I always check the city's exact file specs before hitting upload.

king.dakota9d ago

Our city portal straight up rejects any PDF over 10MB without a single error message. You just get a green checkmark on a blank page. Found that gem in a forum post from 2019. How many hours do you think get wasted because they won't fix a basic file size warning?