How long will it take to design and permit my project?
The typical projects that we do often take about 12 months to design and permit. Here’s why.
How complex is the design of the project?
New vs. Renovation
A basic rule of thumb is that renovations are more complex than new homes. That’s because we have to work around the existing structure, existing plumbing lines, electrical runs, etc. The new work, built to current codes and rules, has to mesh with the old. Often, it’s not possible to know what will be encountered until you actually start demolishing portions of the existing building. You may find a foundation that was built 75 years ago is failing and needs to be reinforced.
Projects that are completely new and built from scratch are more straightforward since we don’t have to contend with any old structures or issues. The complexity in these projects is of our own making so to speak.
How quickly are decisions made?
As the project progresses, more people are involved and decisions take longer to make.
In the beginning the main parties involved are the Client and Architect. The clients may be two people, and the architects may be three, but the idea is that the two parties are guiding things at the beginning.
As the project moves from phase to phase, numerous other parties get involved. Some projects may involve more parties or fewer, again, it depends on the particulars scope of work. Some examples:
During Permitting Phase:
Building Dept
Planning Dept
Fire Dept
Public Works
Sanitation Dept
Grading Dept
During Design Phases:
Structural Engineer
Civil Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Energy Consultant
Interior Designer
How do we track this in our office?
As usual, we do all of our project management with Notion in house.
We use a Timeline (Gantt) database to track each phase. Here we can see start and stop dates for each.
Internally we use a very detailed Project Master Checklist. Outside our office, our clients can use their personal Client Portal to track their project.
