How Long Does a Building Permit Take?
Two separate clocks run on every permit: the time to produce the drawings, and the time the jurisdiction takes to review them. People usually underestimate the second one.
Clock one: preparing the drawings
This is the part a drawing firm controls. For us, a typical residential set runs 3 to 7 business days, and a multi-discipline commercial set 5 to 10. Rush work is possible where the scope allows it.
Clock two: plan review at the jurisdiction
This is outside anyone's control, including ours. Review times vary enormously between jurisdictions and seasons. Small residential reviews are often measured in weeks; commercial and multi-department reviews can run considerably longer. Your building department can usually tell you their current turnaround if you ask.
What actually causes delays
In our experience the delay is rarely the drawing time. It is these.
- ✓ Correction cycles. Each incomplete submittal restarts the review clock, often adding weeks.
- ✓ Missing supporting documents, for example a survey, soils report or product approval.
- ✓ Separate reviews running in sequence rather than parallel, such as health, fire or zoning.
- ✓ Waiting on the applicant. Drawings often sit unreviewed because the owner has not answered a question.
How to make it faster, honestly
You cannot speed up the jurisdiction. You can reduce the number of review cycles, which is where the real time is lost.
- ✓ Get the submittal checklist from your building department before drawings start
- ✓ Submit a complete set rather than a fast, partial one
- ✓ Answer correction comments fully the first time, in writing, point by point
- ✓ Order all disciplines together so sheets do not contradict each other
Frequently asked questions
Can you guarantee my permit by a certain date?
No, and you should be cautious of anyone who does. Final approval and review timing belong to the jurisdiction. What we can commit to is the date your sealed drawings are delivered.
What is a rush turnaround?
For us, 48 hours on the drawing set where the scope allows, at a 30 per cent surcharge. It compresses our clock, not the jurisdiction's.
My permit has been sitting for weeks. What can I do?
Ask the building department for the status and the reviewer name. Often a set is waiting on a comment nobody forwarded to you. Permit expediting exists largely to chase exactly this.