Permits, Politics, and Patience: What Owners Should Know About Project Approvals
As architects, we love designing beautiful spaces—but before a foundation is poured or brick is laid, your project must go through the often-mysterious realm of permitting. It’s not glamorous. It’s not quick. But it’s absolutely essential. Whether you’re building a medical center, an office complex, or a simple tiny home on your great-grandmother’s property, you’ll need permits. Lots of them.
The Permitting Process, Simplified (Kind of):
Here’s the general sequence of events in a typical permitting journey:
Pre-design Planning - What do you want?
Zoning and Land Use Reviews - Is it allowed?
Building Permit Submittal - Does it meet codes?
Specialty Reviews - Anything unusual?
Revisions and Resubmittals - What are you missing?
Final Permit Issuance - When are you starting?
Sounds simple, right? It rarely is. Every project is a little different, and every reviewer has their own pet peeves (ask us how we know).
Planning and Zoning: The First Line of Defense
Before you get into the nuts and bolts, your project must pass the vibe check—zoning.
Planning departments review your project for things like:
Land use compatibility
Building height and setbacks
Parking and landscaping
Historic district compatibility
Whether that metal roof is too edgy for the neighborhood
Depending on your site and scope, you may need public hearings, design board approvals, or even legal notices to neighbors. This process alone can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months. And no, your charming personality & homemade cookies won’t speed it up.
Building Permit Review: Where Things Get Technical
Once zoning’s on board, your architect will submit construction documents to the local building department. What they’re looking for:
Compliance with building codes (IBC, NFPA, ADA, energy codes, etc.)
Structural integrity
HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems
Fire and life safety
Flood zones, wind zones, and possibly moon phases (just kidding… mostly)
Permit reviews can take 1–3 weeks for small projects and up to 12+ weeks for large commercial ones. Each round of comments and resubmittals adds time, so it’s crucial to get things right (or at least close) the first time.
State Health Departments: The Healthcare Wild Card
If you’re building a hospital, clinic, or surgery center, welcome to the big leagues. In addition to local permitting, many states require a separate review from their Department of Health.
These reviews ensure your project meets regulations for infection control, patient safety, and healthcare-specific design standards. The process usually includes:
Preliminary or schematic review (optional, but smart)
Construction document submission and review
Site inspections and occupancy approvals
Timelines vary, but reviews often take 30-60 days per round, plus inspections. Florida’s AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration) is a great example—thorough, precise, and not easily impressed.
Yes, they will find that one missing thing on page 87 of your 100-sheet set. Even if it’s not required, they have the authority to require it.
Owner Tips for a Smoother Ride:
There are plenty of ways you, the Owner, can help avoid permit purgatory:
Hire an architect early—before you buy land, if possible.
Don’t skip zoning feasibility checks.
Set realistic timelines (no, we can’t design and permit your hospital in two weeks).
Budget for review fees, impact fees, and resubmittal time.
Trust your architect—they’ve been through this rodeo before, cowboy.
How Your Architect Helps:
Think of us as your translator, guide, project wrangler, and sometimes therapist. We:
Coordinate with civil engineers, planners, and code consultants
Translate government-speak into normal English
Respond to reviewer comments
Keep track of timelines
Calm everyone down when delays happen
Permitting may never be “fun,” but with a good architect and a good attitude, it doesn’t have to feel like wandering a bureaucratic labyrinth blindfolded. With a clear plan, a solid team, and some patience, your project can move through the process like a team that’s finished this corn maze before.
Just remember: Permits First, Party Later.