Plan Review Time and Costs

The time it takes to go through this step in the permit process is directly related to the level of compliance presented in the plans prepared for your project. Plans which don’t fully comply with the code requirements are provided with a correction list for the designers/owners to review and update their construction documents. On the average, the process is likely to take two to three cycles of review and correction before all correction items have been cleared. Occasionally a project may complete in a single cycle, while at the other extreme, some projects can take more than three cycles. The number of cycles depends on the designers responses to the initial correction list, and changes that may occur to the project design between cycles. The length of a review cycle depends on the complexity and size of the project, length of time the consultants take to prepare responses to the issues, and the clarity and completeness of the responses provided in the plans and documents.

Whether a project is submitted or reviewed over-the-counter can affect the time and number of review cycles. Certain types of simple projects may be reviewed over-the-counter (OTC). Over-the-counter reviews can be done more quickly than a submitted review, because the applicant meets face to face with the plan reviewer during the initial review. With OTC review, however, the scope is limited, based on the time available to review the plans.

For submitted projects, rechecks can be handled by appointment between the designers and the plan reviewer. This may save time and enables clear communication between the plan reviewer and designer. These appointments can be most effective if the designer, whose comments are an issue, is present to resolve/explain their resolution with the plan reviewer.