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How Much Time Consuming is a Building Permit in DC?
Are you concerned about how much time it will take to obtain a construction permit? It's a common question that throttles the minds of the owners and developers. Even if the permit processing times vary to a great extent based on the project, the issuance times for alteration, addition, and repair take around five months on an average as per DCRA (Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs). Standard commercial interior demolition can take around six months for getting the permit. The same is true for a new build construction permit. However, the situation varies from one city to another. A city with a growing construction market undergoes long permit processing time. To take an instance Seattle, a busy construction market in the US takes around 8 months on an average for a new building permit. Nevertheless, if you get engaged with a relevant agency or an expert permit service provider in Washington DC, you can have a smoother permitting process.
Let's consider the challenges that extend the permit processing time in DC.
1. Involvement of Multiple Agencies - As per the 2016 Permit Issue Study of Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, 75% of respondents saw longer permitting processing time with the involvement of the two agencies - DOEE (Department of Energy and Environment) & DDOT (District Department of Transportation). Construction projects with components of public spaces like outdoor patios and curb cuts inclined to take a longer time for permitting. Such projects need a public space permit from DDOT specifying traffic control rules, which may restrict construction. The projects are also subject to public input and omission, which can delay a project schedule. Commercial development project permits are required to be performed through a series of local and federal agencies for reviewing plans as per project intricacy, scope and zoning.
2. Multiple Review Cycle - Throughout the permit process, several reviews are necessary owing to the mistakes and omissions in the application package. As per DCRA, 53% of plans submitted in 2016 required two or more reviews, such as 10% requiring a green review for the 3rd time, 9% requiring a structural review for the 3rd time and 9% requiring a zoning review for the 3rd time. Alterations in guidelines, like the application of the 2016 Zoning Code & DC Storm Water Management code have multifarious issues, as it is vital for both the applicants and the agencies to understand and implement new regulations. To reduce the manifold review cycles, DCRA now involves the applicant as well as the team members to partake in a compulsory meeting for addressing project specifications if the plan has been detained for amendments after the subsequent review cycle.
Nevertheless, the complex and extensive permitting process faces sharp criticism. To deal with the problem, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced the regulation in January 2018 for rearranging DCRA into two distinct agencies, called the Department of Buildings and Department of Licensing & Consumer Protection, with the former focusing on the application of building codes. So, hiring an architect with extensive local expertise is an effective technique for reducing the chances of multiple review cycles. A veteran architect will detail understanding of local code delivers comprehensive & compliant drawings to simplify the review process. To know more about DCRA permitting, call 202-465-4830 or write at [email protected] for faster building permit approval in Washington DC.
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