Permitting: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It

In 1960, it took around 4 months to get a permit for something like a store or an office. Today, it could take 16 months.

Permitting has evolved dramatically over the centuries. And while many industries have seen dramatic productivity improvements, construction has famously not been one of them.

Although construction productivity has declined by about 6%, that’s practically a rounding error compared to permitting, which has gotten 400% slower in the same time span.

Let's explore the history of permitting, why it has become such a bottleneck, and most importantly, how we can start to reverse that trend with modern tools and technology.

The origins of permitting

It all started in ancient Babylon....

Almost 4,000 years ago, Hammurabi's Code established the first building regulations. These early laws were simple—if a builder's work failed, they were responsible for repairs...or worse.

The Renaissance raised standards...

Guilds of builders took over, training skilled labor and inspecting projects for quality. Builders held each other to a high standard, with incredible results.

Centuries later, urban fires demanded national governance

Industrialized cities faced new safety hazards. With the rise of gas and electricity, the risk of fire became severe. In 1871 there were more than 25 major fires across the country. Roughly a third of Chicago burned to the ground.

Citizens and politicians called for action, leading to the formation of city building departments, often managed by the Fire Department. Permitting in the beginning was simple. In the early 1900s, a project might take only days to receive approval.

Over time, the simplicity of those early systems gave way to growing complexity. By the mid-20th century, urban planning, zoning, and environmental regulations were added to the mix. As each new problem arose, new rules and regulations were created without removing old ones, leading to today’s long, cumbersome permitting process.

Why permitting keeps slowing down

A psychological study by Leidy Klotz and Gabrielle Adams showed us that humans are wired to solve problems through addition rather than subtraction. This insight helps explain why permitting has become so complex over time.

Every new crisis, whether related to safety, environmental concerns, or urban planning, has led to the introduction of new requirements. These requirements are rarely streamlined or simplified, leading to an ever-growing pile of paperwork and bureaucracy.

This problem is compounded by the sheer number of local jurisdictions, each with its own unique processes and regulations. While construction projects have become more standardized, permitting remains highly localized, forcing developers to adapt to different rules for every project.

The current permitting landscape

In 2025, the situation is dire. A typical ground-up project might take just four months to construct, but require over 16 months to permit. The causes are clear:

1. More Permits: As cities grow, the number of required permits has multiplied, covering everything from environmental impact to site encroachment.
2. More Sheets in Permit Packages: A set of construction drawings that once contained 10 sheets can now exceed 50.
3. More Jurisdictions: Developers working across multiple states face a maze of different approval processes, each with its own timeline.

This has led to a scenario where permitting has become the single biggest bottleneck in project timelines.

How can we fix permitting?

The solution isn’t just in overhauling the way cities manage permitting but also in empowering project teams to adapt and speed up their own processes. Here are three key ways we can make improvements, by leveraging software, AI, and local expertise.

Make requirements more accessible

A centralized platform that aggregates local permitting requirements could save teams countless hours. Today, Pulley enables you to see exactly which permits and submittal items are required for your project as well as forecast the time to approval.

Looking to the next few years, what if we could generate a preliminary due diligence report on a site just by analyzing the the project data you already have stored in tools like Procore or Autodesk?

Advances in computer vision and data integration could allow for this kind of transparency, helping project teams avoid costly mistakes

‍Speed up submittal processes by optimizing workflows

Today, many project teams still manage the permitting process manually, increasing the risk of missed deadlines and forgotten steps.

By using specialized permit management software like the one we’ve built at Pulley, teams can assign tasks, set deadlines, and ensure accountability throughout the permitting process.

Additionally, generative AI technologies are being developed to help architects and engineers prepare complete, code-compliant drawing sets faster than ever before.

Accelerate code review‍

The plan review process is often the longest part of permitting, with drawings going through multiple rounds of reviews.

The best way to reduce rounds of revisions and time spent waiting for reviewers is to submit great plans.

Tools like Upcodes has already made it easy to search and interpret the building code and new tools like AI-assisted code checking, are already in the works. If software could flag potential code issues to architects or city staff we could reduce the time it takes to scrub a 50 page permit package to just a few minutes.

A faster, smarter decade ahead

We are on the cusp of a breakthrough in permitting efficiency. By leveraging technology and local expertise, we can streamline the process, reduce the number of resubmissions, and make it easier for teams to break ground on time.

While there’s no silver bullet to solving the permitting puzzle, by embracing technology, we can make the 2020s the first decade in over a century where permitting gets faster, not slower.

Learn more about how Pulley helps project teams break ground faster? Let's chat.