New Options for Faster Construction Permits
City Introduces Third-Party Plan Review and Express Permitting System to Streamline Processes.
On October 1, the City’s Planning Department launched two new options to streamline the construction plan review process and issue permits faster: Third-Party Plan Review and an Express Permitting System.
To help continue to expedite the plan review process, applicants may now choose to have their construction documents reviewed by a privately contracted Third-Party Review Agency instead of undergoing the building code review directly by the City. The City is now accepting requests from private Plan Review Agencies that are interested in becoming certified. Once the Third-Party Agency has approved the plans, they can be uploaded to ABQ-PLAN, the City’s official electronic plan review and permitting system. Third-Party Review only covers building code compliance, but this can speed up the process for projects that have complicated construction plans. All other required approvals, such as zoning, fire, transportation, and hydrology will still be performed by the City of Albuquerque. This request was made by the development community, and the Planning Department recently completed a successful one-year pilot project to ensure accuracy and safety.
Additionally, the Planning Department has rolled out an Express Permitting System for select projects, beginning with residential reroofing. Applicable projects that do not require a full plan review will get same-day approval, sometimes within minutes of payment. Moreover, Express Permitting for roof-mounted solar installations under 50 kW, residential window replacements, minor alterations, and residential water heater replacements is set to go live no later than October 15th. Code compliance field inspections will still need to be scheduled, but 98% of inspections are currently being completed within one business day.
“We have slashed permitting wait times, cleared backlogs, and made inspections faster than ever,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The Third-Party Plan Review option and Express Permitting System will make the process even quicker.”
“We have been working on these significant improvements diligently behind the scenes for over a year. Sustainable improvements done right take time because public safety is involved, and we are happy to share this excellent news about real changes and solid results,” said Planning Department Director Alan Varela.
For more information about the new Third-Party Plan Review option, visit:
cabq.gov/planning/building-safety-division/third-party-plan-review. For more information about the new Express Permitting System, visit: cabq.gov/planning/building-safety-division/express-permitting-system.