Step 1: Prepare
Resolve site constraints
Are there site constraints or planning issues that must be addressed before Development Review (Site Plan Review)?
Check for the presence of wetlands, flood hazard, landslide hazard or soil contamination to verify that no state or federal permits are required for development. These permits may be required prior to Site Plan approval.
Other site considerations
- Does the zoning allow the use?
- Will an access or street improvement be required?
- Is the site in an Overlay or Historic District?
- Are there adequate utilities?
- If the property was divided, is the Final Plat approved and recorded?
Schedule a pre-application conference
A pre-application conference can help you learn about the land use process and give you an opportunity to discuss your project in detail with City staff. It is not meant to identify or resolve every issue. Some land use actions require a pre-application conference, but you can request one for any land use action.
You can schedule a pre-application conference through the online Permit Application Center Portal.
Site Plan Review process
For projects not requiring Variances, Historic Review, Conditional Use Permits, Class 3 Design Review or other actions requiring a public hearing, submit a site plan review application.
Systems Development Charges
Systems Development Charges (SDCs) are one-time fees based on the proposed new use or increase in use of a property. They apply to both new construction and redevelopment projects which increase impact to city infrastructure.
Depending on the project, SDCs may increase a project's budget substantially. It is important to determine the impact of SDC fees as early as possible in the process.
Trade Permits
Trade Permits for electrical, plumbing, mechanical or fire work related to commercial work are separate permits.
Step 2: Apply
Once your site constraints and site plan review process are completed, you are ready to start the permit application process.
Trade permits with no plan review
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical or fire work that does not require plan review can be applied for the online Permit Application Center Portal and do not require any preparation prior to applying.
Best practice is to have a contractor selected and include the appropriate license numbers available when you submit your application. If you do not have a contractor, you can type "TBD" (to be determined) for the license numbers.
If the permit applicant is NOT the contractor, a contractor authorization form must be signed by the actual contractor doing the work before the permit can be issued.
Standard Plan Review permits
What do do before you apply:
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Review the submittal standards and naming guidelines before preparing your documents for submittal.
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Review the commercial checklist or, if applicable, the civil site work checklist to make sure you have everything needed to apply.
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Prepare your drawings/plans for submittal, being sure to follow the submittal and naming guidelines.
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Prepare your supporting documents, e.g. engineering calculations and specifications, being sure to follow the submittal and naming guidelines.
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Plan check fee - A fee based on the value of work will be assessed when you submit your application. Plan review will not begin until this fee is paid. The fee may change after plan review begins if the project scope requires corrections as a result of the review process.
Application process:
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Submit your application:
- For Demolition, Reroof, Solar Array, or Seismic Retrofit work, you can apply online.
- For all other commercial work submit your application by email.
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You will receive an email with a link to upload the documents to be reviewed. Upload the requested files within 48 hours.
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Staff will review your files for completeness within 48 hours and notify you of any issues to be resolved before review can begin.
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When documents have been accepted, the review process will begin.
Step 3: Review
Plans are reviewed for compliance with State and City regulations.
Your plans will be reviewed by staff from across the City and you will receive all comments at one time. Some comments are for informational purposes and some will require a response and/or uploading corrected plan pages. You must submit all your responses before the review of your responses and corrections begins. The review process continues in this manner until all review comments are accepted by the City.
Once the review process is completed, a final set of approved plans will be created for you to download and print for the job site.
Step 4: Build
When the plan review process is complete, your permit will be issued and your approved plans will be available for you to download.
You have 180 days from the day the permit is issued to get your first inspection in order to keep your permit active. Each time you request an inspection, your permit expiration date will be extended for another 180 days.
You will also be eligible for a one time extension of 180 days at no cost during the life of construction. You can request inspections through the online Permit Application Center Portal.
Contractors and owners often have a need to occupy a building before all inspections have been approved and the final Certificate of Occupancy can be issued. If there are no outstanding life safety issues, you may request a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO).
