Below, you will find a step-by-step overview of the commercial building permit review process.

Commercial building permits are reviewed under one of two processes, depending on the complexity of your project: a fast track review or a commercial review. Fast track reviews can usually be done the same day. Commercial process reviews require more time, usually 2-3 weeks.

While the criteria below are generally used to determine a project’s routing, please be aware that our staff ultimately makes this determination.

Fast Track Review Criteria

• The project is an interior alteration in an existing commercial building.
• The space is on a floor other than the 1^st or top floor.
• This review process is available Monday through Thursday each week between the hours of 8 am to 3 pm.

NOTE: Alterations that, because of the complexity of design, require an extensive review may be put into the regular plan review process.

Commercial Review Process Criteria

• The space is on the 1^st or top floor.
• The project involves an increase in gross floor area.
• The site has any changes, such as required parking or any exterior changes.
• The project has a change in IBC Use Group.
• Structural modifications are being made to the building or more than one floor of the building (multi-level alteration may be submitted to fast track permitting process on a single-floor basis)
• This process could take up to 2-3 weeks depending on the workload of the reviewer and the extensiveness of the renovation.

Walk or Route Through

• Applications for building permits may be walked through or routed through.
• Walk through means that the applicant can take their plans and have them reviewed and approved (or denied) at the zoning and public works counter (Suite 1000, 2100 Clarendon Blvd.) and then go back to ISD for a permit to be issued or reviewed further by ISD staff.
• Route through means that the plans have to be left at the counter to be reviewed by Zoning staff and returned to the applicant at a later date.
• The plans do not qualify for a Zoning walk-through review (1st floor or below; garage levels; top floor; penthouse; trailers; cranes; roof top).
• Walk-through building permits to be reviewed at the zoning counter must be accompanied by plans to scale for all interior and exterior work, and a plat to scale for all exterior work, including additions, air conditioning units, heat pumps, garages, sheds, and all other accessory structures (no exceptions.)

Fast Track Review Process

1. Permits are started and issued at the Inspection Services Department (ISD), located on the 10^th floor of 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
2. Bring 2 sets of full scale plans (see details on the submission requirements here) and the Commercial Building Permit Application , Asbestos Inspection Form , Plumbing Permit and Electrical Permit.
3. The ISD specialist will enter the application information and generate a permit number for the plans.
4. The plans are sent to the ISD plan review team for review. Once the review is complete, the customer is sent to the Zoning Office to continue the review process.
5. After the Zoning Office has approved the documents, the customer is sent to Department of Environmental Services (DES)  for the final review.
6. Once all three departments have approved the documents, the customer will return to ISD to pay for the permit and receive their permit and placard.
7. If the plans are rejected by Zoning, ISD or DES, the customer must make the required edits to their plans and return to ISD for a second fast track review. The revised drawings must be inserted into the two original plan sets. The revised set will require reviews from ISD, Zoning and DES regardless of which department rejected or approved the original plan set.
8. Once the permit is issued, the customer can now begin their construction.
9. Throughout your construction process you will need to complete different inspections depending upon your project’s scope. See Inspections section below for more information

Commercial Review Process

1. Permits are started and issued at the Inspection Services Department (ISD) which is located on the 10^th floor of 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
2. Bring 3 sets of full scale plans (see details on the submission requirements here) and the Commercial Building Permit Application , 2 copies of the Asbestos Inspection Form , a Plumbing Permit  and an Electrical Permit.
3. After the ISD specialist has entered the application information and generated a permit number for the plans, the plans are labeled (Field and Office). The customer is sent to the Zoning Office to continue the application process.
4. After the Zoning Office has completed their intake, the customer is sent to Department of Environmental Services (DES).
5. Once all three departments have approved the submission of documents, the plan review process starts. This process could take up to 2-3 weeks depending on the extensiveness of the renovation.
6. If the plans are rejected by Zoning, ISD or DES, the customer must make the required edits to their plans and return to ISD for a second commercial review. The revised drawings must be inserted into the two original plan sets. The revised set will require reviews from ISD, Zoning and DES regardless of which department rejected or approved the original plan set.
7. Once the plan review is complete and all three departments have approved the submitted plans, the customer will return to ISD to pay for the permit and receive their permit and placard.
8. Once the permit is issued, the customer can now begin their construction.
9. Throughout your construction process you will need to complete different inspections depending upon your project’s scope See Inspections section below for more information