Permit timeline estimator — how long will your remodel permit actually take in 2026?
Median permit plan-check times across 6 US Tier-0 metros and 12project types. Pick your city and project type below — AskBaily returns a min / median / max weeks estimate with a citation to the city building department's own public data.
At a glance — median weeks (min–max) per city
Every cell is the median permit-issuance time in weeks, with the realistic range in parentheses. Hover for the full “why this range” narrative. The calculator above returns the same numbers with full source citations.
| Project type | Los Angeles | New York City | Phoenix | Miami-Dade | Chicago | Austin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | 8(3–16) | 6(2–12) | 4(1–8) | 6(2–12) | 8(3–14) | 8(3–14) |
| Bathroom remodel | 6(2–12) | 5(2–10) | 3(1–6) | 5(2–10) | 7(3–12) | 6(2–12) |
| Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) | 12(6–22) | 16(8–28) | 8(4–14) | 12(6–22) | 14(8–24) | 14(8–24) |
| Whole-home renovation | 16(10–28) | 20(12–36) | 10(6–18) | 16(10–28) | 16(10–28) | 16(10–30) |
| Addition (room or second story) | 14(8–26) | 22(14–40) | 10(6–18) | 14(8–24) | 18(12–30) | 16(10–28) |
| Garage conversion | 10(5–18) | 18(10–30) | 8(4–14) | 10(6–18) | 10(6–18) | 10(6–18) |
| Fire / wildfire rebuild | 10(4–20) | 12(6–22) | 6(3–12) | 8(4–14) | 10(6–20) | 8(4–16) |
| Seismic retrofit | 8(4–14) | 10(6–18) | 4(2–8) | 4(2–8) | 6(3–12) | 4(2–8) |
| Roof replacement | 2(1–4) | 4(2–8) | 2(1–4) | 4(2–8) | 4(2–8) | 2(1–5) |
| Foundation repair | 10(6–18) | 14(8–24) | 8(4–14) | 10(6–18) | 9(5–16) | 9(5–16) |
| Historic / landmark renovation | 18(10–32) | 24(14–44) | 14(8–24) | 18(10–30) | 18(10–30) | 16(10–28) |
| Permit-only (close open / no work) | 3(1–8) | 4(1–10) | 2(1–6) | 3(1–8) | 4(2–10) | 3(1–8) |
Why permit timelines vary so much
Every US city building department runs at least three review tracks, and which one applies to your project drives the majority of the timeline spread you see in the grid above.
Over-the-counter permitsare issued the same day or within a few business days for single-trade work that doesn't touch structure, egress, or the building envelope: a water-heater swap, a branch-circuit addition, a like-for-like roof tear-off. There is no plan-check — a counter reviewer signs the permit on the spot. Phoenix PDD, Miami-Dade, and LADBS Express all run this track.
Full plan-check is what drives the 8–20 week median on most of the grid. Your drawings are routed to structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, energy, and zoning reviewers — sometimes in parallel, sometimes serially. Each reviewer can kick the package back with objections. A clean first submittal clears in one cycle (6–10 weeks). A package with comments cycles 2–3 times, adding a month per round.
Expedited plan-checkexists in most major cities but has a price tag. LADBS Expedited Permit Program targets a 30-day turnaround for a fee. NYC DOB NOW Build lets a pro-certified architect file direct-to-permit on Limited Alt Type-2/3 work — issued the moment the filing is accepted. Chicago and Austin both run self-certification programs that move the review burden onto the design professional in exchange for a faster permit. When this option exists for your project type, it's almost always worth using.
What speeds it up
- A complete first submittal. The biggest timeline killer is the objection cycle. Hire an architect or engineer who files in that city often enough to know what each reviewer flags. One cycle saved is 3–5 weeks returned.
- Deputy plan-check or third-party review. LADBS, Miami-Dade, and several others let you hire a pre-approved outside reviewer to examine your plans in parallel with the city reviewer. You pay the review fee twice, but you cut weeks off the calendar.
- Self-certification where you qualify. Austin AB+, Chicago Self-Cert, and NYC Pro-Cert all let a licensed design professional assume review liability in exchange for a fast permit. Not all project types qualify — check the program rules before you count on it.
- Keep scope inside the zoning right. Every variance request adds weeks: BSA in NYC, Zoning Administrator in LA, Board of Adjustment in Phoenix. Redesign within your as-of-right envelope if you can.
- Respond to objections within 24 hours. Comment cycles go stale; reviewers re-queue stale packages at the back of the line. Keeping momentum is worth more than the answer.
What slows it down
- Historic overlays. HPOZ in Los Angeles, LPC in New York City, Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Miami-Dade HPB, Austin HLC. Every one of these adds a 6–16 week parallel Certificate of Appropriateness review. Staff-level approval is faster than full commission review — ask your architect which one applies.
- Coastal / hillside / floodplain overlays. California Coastal Commission review on LA coastal parcels. LA Hillside Ordinance on slopes over 15%. Miami-Dade flood-zone substantial-improvement rule (the 50% rule). Austin Heritage Tree ordinance. Each adds 2–8 weeks.
- Cross-departmental review.LADWP (water/power) for service upgrades. LAFD for defensible-space review in VHFHSZ. NYC DEP for plumbing stacks. Chicago DWM for water-service work. These reviews run in series after your building permit clears structural, and each adds weeks the homeowner often doesn't anticipate.
- Incomplete submittals. Missing Title 24 forms. Missing structural calcs. Missing WUI product listings. Missing TR-1 statements. Every missing form forces a resubmission cycle.
- HOA / co-op / condo board review.Not the city's queue, but the gate you can't ignore. Co-op boards in NYC routinely add 4–8 weeks in parallel with DOB. Miami condo associations add similar time. Start the board package the same day you file with the city.
City-specific fast lanes
- Los Angeles, CA — LADBS (LA Department of Building and Safety)
- LADBS Expedited Permit Program (ExPress) targets a 30-day turnaround for qualifying residential projects.
- New York City, NY — NYC Department of Buildings (DOB)
- DOB NOW Build direct-to-permit for qualifying professional-certified work (Limited Alt Type-2/3, interior Alt-2s).
- Phoenix, AZ — Phoenix Planning & Development Department (PDD)
- Phoenix PDD Over-the-Counter track for single-trade permits (electrical, plumbing, water-heater).
- Miami-Dade, FL — Miami-Dade Regulatory & Economic Resources — Permitting
- Miami-Dade Walk-Through Permit for like-kind replacements below the structural/HVHZ threshold.
- Chicago, IL — Chicago Department of Buildings (CDOB)
- CDOB Self-Certification Permit Program lets IL-licensed architects self-certify qualifying residential work.
- Austin, TX — Austin Development Services Department (ACD)
- Austin AB+ Self-Certification program for registered design professionals on qualifying residential projects.
Austin is also covered in the calculator — AskBaily's permit-timeline grid includes Austin ACD estimates alongside the other five Tier-0 metros.
Honest disclosure — what this tool is and isn't
These estimates are starting points, not guarantees. They come from public city building-department data, each regulator's own published review-time dashboards, and contractor-reported experience. AskBaily does not verify the numbers at the time you view them — the linked regulator portal is the source of truth. Variance within a given city-project combination can be significant (a clean submittal vs a package with multiple comment cycles can differ by months). Use the estimate as a planning anchor, not a contractual milestone. Data refreshed monthly.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are these permit timeline estimates?
They are starting points, not guarantees. Each cell is built from the most recent public data the city building department publishes (LADBS plan-check dashboards, NYC DOB NOW median turnaround, Phoenix PDD ProjectDox status, Miami-Dade iBuild queue, Chicago DOB Standard Plan Review, Austin ACD Residential Plan Review) plus contractor-reported experience. Your actual timeline depends on reviewer load, how complete your submittal is, whether objections come back, and site-specific triggers like historic overlays or floodplain. Always confirm with the regulator before you sign a contract or hand over a deposit.
Why is there such a big range between minimum and maximum?
Three things drive the spread. First, which review track applies — over-the-counter vs full plan-check vs expedited. Second, which overlays apply — historic preservation, hillside, wildland-urban interface, flood zone, and landmark review each add their own queue. Third, how many objection cycles the plan review goes through — a clean first submittal clears fast; a submittal with comments can cycle 2–3 times, adding a month each round.
What speeds up a permit review?
The biggest lever is a complete, code-compliant first submittal. Hire an architect or engineer who files in that city often — they know reviewer pet peeves. Pay for deputy plan-check or third-party review where offered (LADBS Expedited, Miami-Dade Plans Review Acceleration, Austin AB+ Self-Certification). Keep scope consistent with the zoning district — don't ask for variances if you can design within the right. Finally, respond to objections within 24 hours; stale comment cycles kill momentum.
What slows a permit review down?
Historic overlays are the single biggest slowdown — HPOZ in LA, LPC in NYC, Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Coral Gables HPB in Miami, Austin HLC. Each adds a 6–16 week parallel review. Next biggest: coastal commission, hillside ordinance, and flood-zone substantial-improvement rules. Cross-departmental review (LADWP, FDNY, LA Fire, Chicago Water Management) adds weeks when triggered. Incomplete submittals (missing Title 24, missing structural calcs, missing WUI product listings) force the reviewer to kick the package back for resubmission — each round adds 3–5 weeks.
Are there fast-lane programs in my city?
Most Tier-0 metros have one. Los Angeles offers the Expedited Permit Program (ExPress) targeting a 30-day turnaround for qualifying residential. New York City's DOB NOW Build lets pro-certified architects file direct-to-permit on Limited Alt Type-2/3 work. Phoenix PDD has an Over-the-Counter track for single-trade permits. Chicago has the Self-Certification Permit Program for IL-licensed architects. Austin has the AB+ Self-Certification program for qualifying registered design professionals. Miami-Dade has a Walk-Through permit for like-for-like below the HVHZ threshold. The result card tells you which fast lane applies to your city-project combination.