There’s Another Tool in the Toolkit to Fast Track Permit Review for High-Volume Home Builders

Pulling a permit from the Dallas Development Services Department may have just gotten easier for builders who submit up to 10 plans per week. 

The Residential Plan Review Fast Track Permit Program launched earlier this month, allowing developers who submit a high volume of repetitive permits to have multiple floor plans reviewed and approved at one time, officials announced in a Nov. 7 bulletin. 

The department has been under fire lately to implement new technology and decrease the turnaround time for permits, and this is one more way to make the process more efficient, said Deputy Building Official James Metzgar. 

Five high-volume contractors representing DR Horton, Lennar, Camden Homes, and Ashton Woods Homes are already enrolled in the program. 

“Contractors appreciate the department’s approach with not only getting permits out faster, but more importantly, the ability to build a relationship with staff and our leadership team,” Metzgar said. “It’s these partnerships we pride ourselves on and we understand that we have to work together in our joint efforts.”

Like the Rapid Single Family VIP Program, where builders can pay $200 per hour to jump to the front of the line for a same-day permit, there are restrictions. The RSVP originally required that homes had to be less than 3,000 square feet to quality; that’s since been increased to 5,000 square feet. 

Similarly, the fast-track residential program isn’t for everybody. Applications for homes on corner lots won’t be accepted, and builders should consult with city staff before submitting a request for a home in a floodplain, historic overlay district, conservation district, public utility district, or planned development. 

Faster Permitting Times

Several programs have been implemented over the past six months to facilitate customer partnerships and streamline permit issuance, Development Services Director Andrew Espinoza said. 

“These initiatives have resulted in improved customer service delivery, collaborative partnerships, and faster permitting times,” he said. 

It’s just another tool in the toolkit, but it’s working, Espinoza explained. The department’s “overdue project list” — the backlog — for new single-family homes will be eliminated by the end of the calendar year, he says.

There are just 131 permits on the list now, department officials reported Nov. 15 to the city council’s Government Performance and Financial Management Committee.

“We are determined to continue to improve and reach our ultimate goal of reviewing and processing all new single-family permits within three to five business days,” Espinoza said. 

Fast-Track Plan Review

Development Services staff will review plans in collaboration with the applicant to ensure all predesignated floor plan models are correct, properly designed, and labeled. 

The following requirements have been outlined to facilitate customer partnerships and help ensure the success of the program: 

• Applicants must submit a request to use the Fast-Track Plan Review option by submitting a form. 
• City staff will respond within 24 hours or the next business day to schedule an appointment with the applicant to review master plan submittals. 
• Applicants will be required to submit individual flash drives with each unique floor plan, elevation details, engineering, site plan, and other documents outlined in the Department’s New Construction One- and Two-Family Dwelling Checklist. 
• Upon the initial review, city staff will provide a list of items that are missing and need to be included to qualify for the fast-track process. 
• Once all documentation has been submitted and reviewed for compliance, city staff will electronically stamp and store pre-reviewed floor plans on the applicable applicant flash drive and return it to the applicant. 
• At time of submission, applicants will submit the projects utilizing the ProjectDox Platform and shall provide the name of the subdivision development and the pre-reviewed plan identifier in the description field. Pre-reviewed plans are to be uploaded as one file. However, a separate site-specific plan and foundation-engineered design should be uploaded separately for each dwelling. 
• Architectural plans that are mirrored must be labeled as such on a site-specific basis. The site and foundation plans must reflect the actual condition and not be labeled as “mirrored.”
• City staff will issue pre-reviewed submittals within five business days. 
• Project sites must be platted or have early release approvals.