How the permit process works — applications, plans, and timelines

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Local codes, regulations, and best practices vary by region.

The permit process seems mysterious if you’ve never done it. You submit plans, wait for approval, have inspections, and get a permit. But what actually happens in those steps? How long does it take? What can go wrong? Understanding the process demystifies it and helps you plan your project timeline accurately.

Step One: Determine If You Need a Permit

Before doing anything, check with your local building department to confirm your project requires a permit. Some projects clearly require permits (additions, electrical work, plumbing changes). Others are less obvious. Call or visit your building department and describe your project. They’ll tell you whether it needs a permit.

This step takes a phone call or a visit. Some building departments have online information about what requires permits. You can often find this information on their website, saving you a trip.

Step Two: Prepare Plans

Once you know you need a permit, you need plans. Plans are detailed drawings showing what you’re building or changing. Plans need to be clear enough that an inspector can verify the work meets code. For simple projects, you might draw plans yourself using standard drawing software or even paper sketches with dimensions and details. For complex projects, you need professionally drawn plans from an architect or designer.

Plans typically include floor plans showing the layout, elevation drawings showing what things look like from the side, and details showing how things connect and are built. For electrical work, you need a layout of circuits and outlets. For plumbing, you need layouts of supply and drain lines. For structural changes, you might need structural calculations.

Preparing plans takes time. Simple projects might take a few days if you draw them yourself. Complex projects requiring an architect or designer might take weeks or months.

Step Three: Complete the Permit Application

The permit application is a form provided by your building department. You fill it out with basic information about the project. The form asks questions like property address, project description, estimated cost, whether the work involves structural changes, electrical systems, plumbing systems, or HVAC systems. You attach your plans to the application.

Most building departments now have online permit systems. You upload your application and plans online. Some still work on paper. Contact your building department to learn their process.

Step Four: Submit and Pay the Permit Fee

Once your application is complete with plans, you submit it to the building department. You pay the permit fee at this time. Fees vary based on your jurisdiction and project complexity. A small residential project might cost a few hundred dollars. A large renovation might cost thousands.

After submission, you get a permit number. This number tracks your application through the approval process. Some building departments email you updates on the status. Others require you to check in.

Step Five: Plan Review

The building department assigns someone to review your plans. This reviewer verifies that your plans comply with building code. They check that your structural design is sound, electrical layout is safe, plumbing is properly designed, and HVAC systems are adequate. They check zoning compliance, ensuring your project doesn’t violate local zoning rules.

If everything is acceptable, they approve your plans and issue the permit. If something doesn’t meet code, they issue a correction notice describing what needs to change. You revise the plans and resubmit. The reviewer checks again. This back-and-forth might happen once or multiple times depending on the complexity of your project.

Plan review takes time. Simple projects might be reviewed in a week or two. Complex projects might take four weeks or longer. Building departments vary. Some are fast, others are slower.

Step Six: Obtain the Permit

Once your plans are approved, the building department issues your permit. You pick it up in person or they mail it to you. The permit is a physical document (increasingly, a digital document) that authorizes you to start work. It includes permit number, project description, address, approved plans, and conditions of the permit.

Read your permit carefully. It includes specific requirements about inspections and what needs to be inspected at each stage.

Step Seven: Schedule Inspections

Before you start work, contact the building department to schedule the initial inspection. For most projects, there are multiple inspections at different stages. A kitchen remodel might have a demolition inspection, a rough-in inspection (after walls are opened to show electrical, plumbing, and structural work), and a final inspection. A roof replacement typically needs an inspection before final shingles are applied.

You need to call and schedule each inspection. The inspector will tell you when they can come. You’re responsible for making sure the contractor or you are present for inspections.

Step Eight: Conduct Work and Pass Inspections

Once your permit is issued, you can start work. As you reach each inspection point specified in your permit, you call the building department and schedule the inspection. The inspector comes to your home and verifies the work meets code. If it does, they sign off and you can proceed to the next stage. If something doesn’t meet code, they identify the problem and you fix it before they sign off.

Inspections are not pass-fail in a punitive sense. The inspector is helping you ensure your work is correct. Problems caught during inspection are fixed while they’re relatively inexpensive to fix, not after walls are closed up and everything is finalized.

Step Nine: Final Inspection

Once all work is complete, you schedule the final inspection. The inspector verifies that all work meets the approved plans and building code. They check that all required work is done, all inspections have been passed, and everything is functional. If they find problems, you fix them. Once everything is acceptable, they sign off on the final inspection.

Step Ten: Certificate of Occupancy

For some projects, once the final inspection is passed, you receive a Certificate of Occupancy. This document states that your project meets all applicable codes and regulations. For some projects, you simply get the final inspection sign-off.

Typical Timeline

Simple projects (roof, siding, deck, basic remodel) might take four to eight weeks from permit application to completion. Plan review might take two to three weeks. Construction and inspections might take two to four weeks.

Complex projects (additions, major renovations) might take three to six months. Plan review might take four to eight weeks. Construction and inspections might take two to four months.

These timelines vary greatly based on your jurisdiction and project complexity. Urban areas with high permit volumes might be slower. Rural areas might be faster. Simplified permit systems for simple projects are faster than full review for complex projects.

Common Issues During the Process

Incomplete applications delay the process. Submit complete applications with all required information and plans.

Inadequate plans cause rejections. Make sure your plans show enough detail for an inspector to understand and verify the work.

Contractors starting work before receiving a permit stop-work orders your project.

Failing inspections because the work doesn’t meet code delays everything. Make sure your contractor understands the approved plans and code requirements.

Who Handles the Permit Process?

Your contractor typically pulls permits, submits plans, schedules inspections, and communicates with the building department. This is standard contractor work. You’re paying for this service. Good contractors understand the permit process and navigate it smoothly. Bad contractors skip permits or complain about them. This is a red flag.

If you’re doing the work yourself, you handle the permit process. It’s not complicated, but it requires attention to detail and following the building department’s process.

The Reality

The permit process takes time and costs money. But it protects you. Building department approval of your plans gives you confidence that your work is safe and will meet code. Inspections catch problems early. A final inspection confirms your work is done properly. All of this protection is worth the time and cost.

Professional contractors understand the permit process and navigate it routinely. If a contractor resists the permit process, you’re dealing with someone who cuts corners.

© The Whole Home Guide