Average Plan Review Times

The ability to estimate permitting timelines is an important factor in managing your project. While we strive to provide accurate estimates based on current 90-day averages, actual review times may vary by project. The City and County of Denver is committed to monitoring and sharing review times and making adjustments as needed to provide excellent quality of work and customer service for all projects. 

Some projects will have a due date listed in E-Permits. These dates are set automatically based on target review times, and do not adjust in response to volume or capacity. For a more accurate estimate, please use the dates provided in the dashboard below based on when your permit application was accepted for review. Projects are reviewed in the order they are received by the next available staff member. E-Permits will not list a specific reviewer for your project until one is available and the project has been officially picked up for review by that individual.

This dashboard has been updated as of December 2024 to include all review disciplines across the City departments that may touch a building and/or zoning permit. For projects required to go through the Site Development Plan process (typically new commercial, multifamily of 3 or more units, and industrial buildings), the dashboard provides the following information:

• Amount of time it is taking on average for the City to provide comments for each review cycle,
• Average amount of time it is taking formal site development plans to be given the okay to submit for building permits, and
• How long projects are taking to be approved by calendar days, which includes time with the City and time with the customer.

For questions on a specific review or to find the contact information for your assigned reviewer, please see the Contact Us page.

Review Times Dashboard (Data updated daily)

KEY TERMS

• Intermediate Commercial – Small commercial, multi-family or industrial projects with a valuation between $750,000 and $1.5 million; examples include a small addition or tenant finish
• Major Commercial – Large commercial, multi-family or industrial projects with a valuation in excess of $1.5 million, such as a new apartment or office building, large additions
• Intermediate Residential – Single-family/duplex projects, such as additions under 400 sq ft and type approved submittals
• Major Residential – Single-family/duplex projects, such as a new home, addition greater than 400 sq ft
• Zoning (Commercial) – A zoning only submittal for a commercial or multi-family project
• Minor Commercial – Examples include solar/PV systems under 10kW, temporary offices, signs and preparatory demolition
• Minor Residential – Single-family/duplex projects, such as small interior remodels, window wells, ground level patios and decks, and sheds
• Estimated Days to Complete – This is an estimated range of days it takes each discipline (such as: Architectural or SUDP) to complete a permit review. We calculate this by looking at past reviews that were completed in the last 90 days, showing a range that covers most cases – from the average customer time to a worse-case 90th percentile time – so customers have a better idea of when to expect their review to be done.

   

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Additional Resources

Business Licensing Application Processing Times: If your business requires a license to operate, you can now easily check the current application processing times. Stay informed by visiting Excise & Licenses' application status page. 

List of Minor Commercial and Residential Projects (eligible for faster review times) 

As part of a suite of goals for 2024, the city focused on achieving a 30% reduction to the amount of time it takes the city to complete reviews. As of December 2024, the following results have been achieved.

All permitting departments will continue to work on process improvements and innovations in 2025. This effort includes the involvement of staff across Community Planning and Development (CPD), the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), Denver Fire Department (DFD), Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR), Excise and Licenses (EXL), Technology Services (TS), Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE), Department of Housing Stability (HOST), Climate Action Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR), Peak Performance and Office of Social Equity and Innovation (OSEI).