If you ever ask someone about a commercial or residential building permit, you’ll almost always hear a first response along the lines of “they just take forever, good luck”.
But the thing is, as much as there may be operational inefficiencies or lack of staff impacting an agency, delays rarely just happen because permits take a long time.
More commonly, it comes as a result of a couple of things – the first being a lack of clarity on the submitter’s behalf, and secondly, unclear documentation that forces multiple review cycles.
So, let’s look a little more into construction permit delays, the detail behind them, and more importantly some ways that we can work to prevent these delays.
Where Unclear Requirements Come From
It’s no secret. No one – and I include myself here right at the top of that list – likes a timeline-related project setback.
Unfortunately though, in the permit submission process, I see it all too often that people are doing it to themselves, causing delays as a result of being unclear on the requirements.
And if that’s you, I can almost guarantee it’s not your fault. There’s so much to look at when it comes to submitting a construction permit, including:
- Jurisdiction-specific interpretations
- Code updates
- Zoning overlays
- Special district rules
- Conditional use permits…
And probably a dozen other things that add to a lack of clarity.
So, it makes it all the more important to be aware of potential confusion – especially when we talk about the next point.
The Hidden Cost of Ambiguity
In a study by Deltek for the Construction Employers Association, for a $50 Million build, the average daily cost of a construction project’s delay is $45,662.
Almost $50K. PER DAY.
Of course, this data comes from large projects, but it perfectly highlights that there is a significant cost associated with delays at any point in the construction process. Even before the first foundation has been laid.
And it’s not just direct financial costs, having this ambiguity and the delays associated with it causes damage to:
- Contractor scheduling
- Investor and stakeholder confidence
How Review Cycles Multiply
The thing is, it’s not just anecdotal that the permitting process can be subject to heavy delays. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Building Industry Association of Washington, the average permitting delay in Washington is 6.5 months.
When it comes to getting your permits reviewed, an initial rejection can often snowball. And as much as you may love a snowball fight, they’re definitely something to avoid when we’re talking about the construction permitting process.
Delays compound off the back of initial rejections, revised submissions, secondary comments – especially where lack of clarity is the instigator.
At the end of the day, it makes it all the more obvious the importance of knowing how to get it right the first time – and whether that’s by delving into the research yourself or working with a permitting consultant, you’ll always be better off for it.
Preventative Strategies
Unclear requirements cause delays in construction permit approval – which means clarity is so important, and it starts well before submission.
So to avoid your own construction permitting timeline setbacks, there are a few things to prioritize to find that clarity as things move forward. They include…
- Pre-application meetings
Early engagement with your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) will allow you to get clear confirmation on zoning, the required documentation and any external agency involvement, so you know exactly what to submit, and where it needs to go.
- Early consultant involvement
Aligning yourself with a permitting expert early in the process will help to avoid any jurisdiction-specific nuances that can be so easily missed.
- Documentation audits
A detailed review of all of your engineering and architectural plans will help to ensure consistency across all documents, from the drawings to the code references.
Paying respect to these steps won’t allow you to skip ahead in the process, but they will absolutely work to reduce uncertainty within it.
If you want to minimize the possibility for delays in your construction permit application, the best step forward is to move with clarity – because naturally, with so many moving parts, the process can be pretty overwhelming. If you need a helping hand to manage the process and ensure that timeline doesn’t blow out of proportion, I’m here to help – US-wide and regardless of your jurisdiction. Feel free to get in touch.