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5 Ways to Reduce Your Permit Review Time by 50%

January 1, 20266 min read

The True Cost of Permit Delays

Every week of delay costs:

  • Carrying costs on land/financing
  • Contractor schedule disruptions
  • Opportunity cost on next projects
  • Here are 5 proven strategies to cut your review time in half.

    1. Pre-Application Meetings

    Meet with the building department BEFORE submitting. Get clarity on:

  • Specific code interpretations
  • Required supporting documents
  • Known issues with similar projects
  • 2. Complete Initial Submittals

    The #1 cause of delays: incomplete submittals. Use a checklist for:

  • All required forms and fees
  • Complete drawing sets
  • Engineering calculations
  • Energy compliance docs
  • 3. Organize Your Response Letters

    When you get comments back:

  • Respond to EVERY comment
  • Reference specific sheets/details
  • Use consistent numbering
  • Include a summary matrix
  • 4. Build Examiner Relationships

    The same examiners review your projects. Be:

  • Professional in all communications
  • Responsive to questions
  • Honest about challenges
  • 5. Use Technology

    Manual tracking leads to:

  • Missed comments
  • Lost emails
  • Duplicate work
  • PlanReview automates comment tracking, response generation, and resubmittal packages.

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