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

Residential building permits require a walk-through or a route-through review, depending on the complexity of your project. Walk-through reviews can usually be done the same day. Route-through reviews require more time, usually 2-4 weeks.

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

Walk-through Criteria:

• The space must be less than 750 sq ft.
• The space must have minimum code required ceiling height for a basement.
• The house must have a maximum of three toilets; including any new toilets proposed in your renovation; or the house must have an existing 1” water service line.
• Residential walk-through hours are from 8 am-2 pm, Monday–Friday, on the 10th floor of 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
• It can take 1-4 hours for our staff to complete a residential walk-through depending on the number of submissions received in our office on that particular day and on the completeness of your documents at the time of submission.
• All walk-through projects are able to be submitted as route-through projects.

Route-through Criteria:

*Extending the footprint requires the submission of a scaled plat to the Zoning office and the elevation must be documented on the submitted plans.

• The space is greater than 750 sq ft.
• The space needs alteration to the ceiling height.
• The basement is considered a Story Above Grade.
• The project extends beyond the original building foot print*.
• The project includes all new floor joists at any one story.
• The dwelling is not habitable during the period of construction.
• The habitable space of the dwelling square footage increases 100% or more.
• The project adds a fourth (4^th ) toilet in the house.
• The elevation drawings demonstrate that the outside appearance of the dwelling bears little or no resemblance to the existing structure.
• The estimated cost of the new construction is 75% or more of the improved value of the existing dwelling and the calculated value of the new construction is 100% or more the value of the existing dwelling.
• It can take 2-4 weeks to complete a residential route-through review.

Walk-through 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 (learn more about submission requirements here) and the Residential Building Permit Application . No filing fee is required for walk-through projects.
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) and given back to the customer. The customer is sent to the Zoning Office, which shares a floor with ISD,  to start the review process.
4. After the Zoning Office has approved the documents, the customer is sent back to Inspection Services Division (ISD) for the plan review.
5.  After the plans have been approved by ISD, the customer is sent to Department of Environmental Services (DES), located on the 8th floor,  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 walk-through. 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 Residential Inspections for more information.

Route-through 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 (learn more about submission requirements here) and the Residential Building Permit Application. A filing fee equal to 35% of the total permit fee must be paid at the time of filing.  This fee IS NOT refundable if no permit is issued.
3. The ISD specialist will enter the application information and will label the plans (Field, Office, and Zoning). They will route the Field and Office sets for building plan review and the Zoning set is given back to the customer.  The ISD specialist signs the customer into Zoning for a preliminary Zoning review and submittal.
4. Plans are reviewed. It can take 2-4 weeks to complete a residential route-through review for both Zoning and ISD.
5. If the plans are rejected by Zoning or ISD the customer must make the required edits to their plans (all three sets) and return to ISD for a resubmittal.  The revised set will require reviews from both Zoning and ISD regardless of which department rejected or approved the original plan set
6. After the plans have been approved by ISD and Zoning, the customer is sent to Department of Environmental Services (DES) for the final review.
7. 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.
8. Once the permit is issued, the customer can begin construction.
9. Throughout your construction process you will need to complete different inspections depending upon your project’s scope.