very once in a while, you read about technology that is both incredibly innovative and, at the same time, something that makes you think “Why didn’t anyone think of that before?” Enter Yossi Walter and his company, LifeSize Plans.
Yossi built two successful businesses: Fast Forward Permits, a permit expediting service, and Clevrock Design, an architectural design company. Over the years, Yossi transformed his one-man operation into a reputable enterprise that has become a one-stop shop for pre-construction planning and building permit acquisition.
Yossi established himself as a valuable resource for developers, builders, engineers, architects and others in the construction industry. His expertise was sought after for a diverse
range of projects, including subdivisions, schools, yeshivos, multi-family homes and single-family
residences.
One day, Yossi realized there must be a better way to show his clients what their new plans would look like. Until then, people had to rely on architectural drawings, colored renderings, or small-scale building models to visualize new living spaces. However, these traditional methods had significant drawbacks. They were extremely time-consuming and expensive to create. Moreover, they failed to provide consumers with a realistic, immersive experience of the space.
Yossi had an idea. He wanted a way to show his clients what their drawings for their new space would look like in real life. After doing some research, he found an Australian company to help him implement his vision. That’s how LifeSize Plans was born.
The concept behind LifeSize Plans is elegantly simple, yet its implementation is complex and innovative. In a spacious warehouse located in New Jersey, clients are treated to an extraordinary experience. Upon entering, they see their architectural drawings displayed on the floor using cutting-edge projector technology. This unique setup allows visitors to visualize their new living space at a precise 1:1 scale, accurate down to the inch. The real-time nature of the system adds another layer of flexibility, enabling on-the-spot adjustments. This dynamic feature helps clients better imagine and refine their vision of their new space, offering an unprecedented level of interaction and customization in architectural visualization.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a year of health, happiness and nachas for your family and yourselves. Kesivah vachasimah tovah! —Nesanel
I was born in New Square, went through the mosdos, got married and attended kollel. My father’s plumbing company was successful, but it didn’t significantly impact our lifestyle. We never had a fancy car or house, though money was never an issue. During bein hazmanim, I did some odd jobs, but I didn’t have a strong desire to work.
After I got married, I moved to Monsey, my wife’s hometown. The Skverer Rebbe was mesader kiddushin. I consult the Rebbe for major life decisions, an my son recently had his hanachas tefillin by the Skverer Rebbe.
My first job was working for Chesed 24/7; I helped arrange events to cheer up the patients. After six months, I moved to an Amazon company, managing their warehouse operations for about a year. Next, I joined my father’s business, Braun’s Plumbing and Heating, based in Monsey and New Square.
Working for my father was comprehensive—I did everything from A to Z. However, our visions didn’t align; I wanted to modernize the company with new technology while my father preferred traditional methods. We amicably decided it wasn’t the right fit for me at the time. Ironically, shortly after I left, my father embraced the new technologies I had suggested (laughs).
My next role was with a foreclosure property management company. I did this for almost three years. My boss at that time was planning to build his own house, and I was supposed to help him work on the construction. When I’d ask him about the process regarding his new home, he would sing the same old song, “I’m waiting for building permits.” I heard this answer for months. This experience sparked my interest in the approval process, leading me to research and ultimately start my own expediting company: Fast Forward Permits. I took a big jump and started focusing only on this field.
Being in the construction industry, I knew where to find customers. I filled out applications for them and followed up with inspectors. I remember coming up from my home office to ask my wife for help with simple applications at our dining room table. I was deeply invested in the process, ensuring everything was done correctly until clients received their building permit approvals. I started with basic building permits and gradually expanded to handle planning, zoning, subdivisions, Architectural Review Board (ARB) approvals, demolitions and more.
For five years I was basically a one-man show. I started hiring employees here and there, but I had a hard time finding the right ones and managing them.
My wife was working for Hamaspik at the time, where she developed and rapidly expanded several programs. Her exceptional organizational skills and financial acumen were evident in her work. Observing her success there, I realized she could potentially do the same for my company. Consequently, I brought her into the business in 2018.
After my wife joined the company, our operations became significantly more efficient, leading to unexpected growth. We began expanding our workforce to meet increasing demand.
In 2020, immediately following the onset of Covid, the housing market surged, creating a very busy period for us. Our Fast Forward Permits clients needed architects even for smaller projects, such as single-room additions or interior wall modifications. Despite their small scale, these jobs still required architectural work. However, architects were so overwhelmed by large projects that they were reluctant to take on smaller ones. As a result, we found ourselves with an overflow of projects lacking architectural support.
Recognizing the high demand, I began hiring drafters, architects and engineers, which led to the creation of Clevrock Design. We brought all design work in-house, and many of our expediting customers started using us for their new project drawings. This move quickly propelled our growth. Within about three months, we hired additional drafters to work under our lead architect and engineer. Both of our companies experienced tremendous growth. We were constantly busy, running from meeting to meeting, and doing well, baruch Hashem.
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