Plan review is the formal examination of construction drawings by the AHJ for compliance with the building code, energy code, fire code, accessibility code, and any local ordinances. Plan reviewers issue comments (deficiencies that must be corrected before permit issuance), and the design team responds with revised drawings or written explanations. The cycle repeats until the reviewer is satisfied, then the permit issues. Major commercial projects often go through two to four comment cycles.
Plan-review timelines vary widely: same-day over-the-counter for simple work, 1 to 3 weeks for residential additions, 4 to 16 weeks for new commercial construction, and longer in busy jurisdictions. Comment-cycle delays compound: a 4-week initial review plus three 2-week comment cycles equals 10 weeks of permit limbo. Best practice: pre-application meetings with the AHJ to surface major issues before formal submission, complete drawing sets that address common comment topics up front, and assigning a single point of contact for the comment cycle so responses are coordinated.