Custom Residential
Factors that Impact Permit Timing
How long does it take to get a permit? This is a perennial question we wish we had a simple answer to. In reality, there are many factors that can impact permit timing. Here, we explore what those factors are so you’re armed with the right knowledge before your project goes in for permit.
November 20, 2025
How long will it take to get a permit for my project? If you’ve ever asked this question, congratulations! You’ve joined a club that just about every homeowner, builder, and architect belongs to.
It’s right up there with “how much will this cost?” and “when will it be done?” as the holy trinity of questions we get asked as architects and designers. While we’d love to give a clear, reliable answer, the truth is that permits operate in their own mysterious universe.
Think less Swiss train schedule and more DMV on a Monday morning.
We get it. You want to plan your life and a big part of that is having confidence in a consistent schedule. Unfortunately, when it comes to permits, scheduling is less about confidence and more about risk management because there are so many unknowns.
As professionals who work on a lot of permit projects, we’ve built up a lot of experience navigating this process and knowing what to expect. And we’ve learned to expect the unexpected.
Here are some of the main factors we look for when estimating timelines for permits. Keep in mind, this list focuses on residential projects in the Puget Sound region. (Commercial projects are a whole different ballgame; not necessarily worse or better, just different.)
The people reviewing your permit drawings are actual people (for now).
Reviewers each bring their own expertise, style, and, unfortunately, their own interpretation of the code. Some are sticklers for detail, others are more flexible in interpretation but, either way, they’re human. Fallible humans.
That means that everything from vacation schedules to how many cups of coffee they’ve had can influence how quickly your permit moves along. When you’re in the thick of permitting like us, you start to recognize the names of each reviewer and their patterns when it comes to reviewing.
We know when some reviewers like a phone call and which ones will only respond to email. Humans may be imperfect, but a good design team knows the little tricks that can help make the most of those human relationships.
Is your property in an Environmentally Critical Area (ECA)?
Critical areas like steep slopes, wetlands, or shorelines trigger additional reviews and often require specialists to weigh in. That adds both time and uncertainty to the process and can shape how the project is reviewed. Getting in front of these issues by addressing code requirements or departures early on before submitting for permit is critical and helps reduce risk of a protracted permit review process.
How busy is the local building department?
Staffing shortages, budget cycles, and a surge of incoming applications (say, when interest rates drop) all impact how quickly your plans get looked at. We’ve seen permits fly through in one season and crawl at a snail’s pace the next all due to reviewer workload.
A little insider knowledge: at the start of a busy economic upswing, reviews can take the longest since staffing is typically funded by permit intake fees. If permitting is slow and then suddenly busy, the money hasn’t been there to staff up the team.
Do you require an on-site septic system?
If you’re not tied into city sewer, you’ll need the health department involved. Septic reviews can be their own mini projects, requiring soil tests, engineering, and, sometimes, redesigns. They also have restrictions on where they can go, especially if you’ve got ECA issues on site. This often adds weeks or months on top of your standard permit timeline.
How straight-forward is your permit?
The simpler your project, the fewer opportunities there are for confusion or re-review. A small deck addition will nearly always move faster than a second-story addition that changes bedrooms, bathrooms, and parking counts.
Complexity compounds delay. To complicate this further, each jurisdiction is going to have different thoughts on what is “straight-forward.”
Can we phase your project and divide up the permit?
Sometimes we can break a large project into smaller approvals. For example, getting site work permitted under what’s called a simple over-the-counter permit while waiting on the full building review.
This approach can be a lifesaver, but it requires strategic coordination so we’re not just doubling the paperwork. This isn’t always possible, but when it is, it can help get shovels in the ground faster.
The one caveat is that it does usually cost more. Speed rarely comes cheap.
How big are the trees on your property?
Trees are a big deal in the Puget Sound region, especially Seattle. Large or “exceptional” trees often require arborist reports, protection plans, and, in some cases, redesigning the site plan.
And remember that part about the reviewers being human? Well, trees seem to be one of the areas with the biggest swings in individual interpretation. Even on some interior-only projects, you might be required to get an arborist involved during a permit correction, which can add a lot of time and cost to the project.
What is your property’s neighborhood or historic district overlay?
If your property falls within a neighborhood conservation area or historic district, additional design reviews kick in. These reviews are often done by appointed boards that meet monthly, which means you can easily lose a month just waiting for the next agenda.
How complete is your submittal?
Submitting a permit set is like turning in homework. If it’s neat, complete, and answers every possible question, you’re more likely to pass on the first try. An incomplete set, though, means corrections, resubmittals, and a reset on the review clock.
Obviously, we take great care to avoid this, but inexperienced architects can often stumble here. Some jurisdictions (I’m looking at you, King County!) even add a whole separate stage of “reviewing a permit set for completeness,” which seems designed to tack on months.
What is consultant availability?
Most permits require input from structural or civil consultants, and sometimes even from a mechanical or energy consultant. If your project depends on specialized reports, the availability (or backlog) of those consultants will directly impact your timeline.
There are plenty of other niche reasons that can pop up too, but in general, when we assess a project, we’re looking at the site early on to flag complications before we submit for permit. Managing risks and getting approvals in advance is unbelievably helpful. Once we submit, it becomes a waiting game, followed by a race to quickly respond to corrections and questions as they come up.
I wish we could give a solid, guaranteed answer for how long your permit will take, but there are simply too factors and moving parts. What we can say is that we’re very good at navigating the chaos, advocating for our clients, and pushing things along as quickly as possible.
In the end, the permitting process is a little like waiting for a bus. Sometimes it arrives exactly when you expect, sometimes it’s fashionably late, and every so often two show up at once.
The good news? You don’t have to stand at the stop alone. We’re right there with you, keeping an eye on the schedule, checking the tracker, and making sure you actually get where you need to go.
