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Public Project Applicants:  Beginning March 1, 2025, the Public Projects Review team will only assist with Site Plan Review for Public Projects. Applicants submitting building plans may utilize Expedited Building Plan Review or Commercial Plan Review. 

The Expedited Building Plan Review program is a premium service that accelerates the building plan review and permit process by holding a single review session with a full team of experienced plan reviewers and the applicant’s design team.

Our Services

  • A collaborative setting to problem solve and find the path to solutions 
  • Certainty of when your plans will be reviewed and a clear understanding of next steps
  • Flexibility to make on-the-spot decisions or changes 
  • Access to reviewers to discuss a project in a review meeting setting
Preliminary Plan Review - Residential or Commercial

How to Apply:

If you wish to schedule a Preliminary Plan Review Meeting, follow these steps:

step 1   Schedule a Preliminary Plan Review Meeting

If you have general questions about residential and commercial building permit review processes and procedures or basic development-related questions, free, 20-minute appointments are available. Visit the PDC Appointments webpage to schedule the free appointments with City staff.

If you have specific questions related to proposed commercial or residential building plans and would like for staff to identify items that need to be addressed or modified before submitting for review, Preliminary Plan Review (PPR) Meetings are available. The meeting is not a review of building plans and does not guarantee approval of plans. 

PPR meetings are billed hourly per discipline. Commercial meetings are limited to one to two hours per discipline and residential meetings are limited to one hour per discipline. Fees can be found on the Expedited Plan Review Fee (PDF) schedule. Please note, all meeting request invoices include the "Expedited Intake Fee". 

If you wish to move forward with a Preliminary Plan Review meeting, continue to Step 2.
 

step 2   Do you have an Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) Account?

If yes, go to Step 3.

The agent listed on the meeting request form must have an AB+C Portal account to pay the Preliminary Plan Review fees. If you do not have an AB+C account, please register for an AB+C Portal account here. For additional assistance, please see the AB+C Manual (PDF). Please make a note of the email address used for this new account. You will need this for Step 3.
 

step 3   Submit the Preliminary Plan Review Submittal Web Form

Go to the Preliminary Plan Review Submittal Web Form to submit the following information:

Preliminary Plan Review Submittal Web Form
 

step 4   Pay Invoice

Staff will review the submittal request to confirm that all information and documents needed for the meeting have been provided and are complete. If additional information is needed, staff will email the requester. Once the submittal is deemed complete, a tentative PPR meeting date will be scheduled, and the invoice will be issued to the agent. The invoice must be paid before the meeting is formally scheduled. Fees can be found on the Expedited Plan Review Fees (PDF) schedule.

Visit the Cashier Services webpage to view the payment options.
 

step 5   Meeting is Scheduled

Once the Preliminary Plan Review Meeting fees have been paid and all required documents have been provided, staff will formally schedule the meeting for the requested hours.
 

  Attend Meeting and Take Meeting Minutes

During the meeting, the owner or owner's agent is responsible for managing the meeting based on the information provided within the PPR Agenda Section of the submitted PPR Agenda and Meeting Minutes Form. The submitted Form will be provided to the designated scribe and they must take meeting minutes or notes in the PPR Meeting Minutes Section. 

Whether in-person or virtual, plan to arrive before the start time of the meeting. Meetings will begin at their scheduled start time and will end on time. 
 

step 5   Submit Meeting Minutes

Once the meeting has concluded, the owner or owner's agent must email the completed PPR Agenda and Meeting Minutes Form to the designated staff by the end of the following business day. Staff will upload this document to the necessary folder for reference, which will be linked to the project's address. It will also be available for reference on the AB+C Portal.

Once the meeting minutes have been accepted and uploaded, the Preliminary Plan Review Meeting will be complete. 

Expedited Plan Review - Residential

HOME Amendment Update: For information about the HOME Amendments and their impact on residential applications, visit www.austintexas.com/home-ldc.

The Expedited Residential Plan Review team reviews new construction, additions, and interior remodeling of single-family, duplex, triplex, 2-unit, 3-unit, and 4-unit residential and/or accessory buildings on one lot. The team represents every discipline needed (Zoning, Arborist, Building, and Fire) to perform your plan review in the most efficient manner possible.

Eligibility

Most residential projects are eligible through Expedited; however, projects requiring a drainage review (less than 10 ft. within a driveway) do not qualify.

Projects not eligible for an Expedited review may be submitted to standard residential review.

Extended Review Times

Some projects may require analysis or review from a partner City department; those departments operate under different review times. Please note that these types of projects may extend your permit issuance time if submitted through Expedited. 

Process, Review Times, and Fees


step 1   Intake

  • The applicant must have an established AB+C Portal account. 
     
  • Download the Residential application from the Residential Plan Review section on the Forms and Applications webpage. Email the completed application with supporting documents and plan sets to ExpeditedResidential@austintexas.gov for review. Please limit documents to no more than two attachments.
     
  • Once the Residential Building Application is processed, the applicant will receive an automated email with a link to upload construction documents. They must then pay the completeness check and plan review invoice online through the AB+C Portal.
     
  • Expedited staff will perform an “Intake Check” to ensure all required plans and documents are uploaded.
     
  • If Expedited staff approve the “Intake Check”, a completeness check meeting with Expedited Residential Reviewers is scheduled. Applicants may request a later meeting if needed.
     
  • View the Expedited Plan Review Fees (PDF).


step 2   Completeness Check

  • A “live” meeting with the applicant, the design team, and the Expedited Reviewers are held to perform the completeness check. 
     
  • At the close of the meeting, the Expedited Reviewers will determine if a follow-up review meeting is required or if the project may be approved administratively.


step 3   Follow-up Review (if required)

  • The applicant must address all comments from the completeness check meeting and pay any fees incurred for Historic Preservation, Flood Plain, and Erosion Hazard Review if these review groups were involved.
     
  • The applicant will submit their update, and Expedited Reviewers will conduct an administrative review. However, the Expedited Reviewers reserve the right to request a follow-up review meeting if significant changes were made to the plans or if improper file naming causes confusion and delays.
     
  • If the project is rejected, all updates must be submitted through the official update process, and additional fees will apply. Expedited Reviewers will not accept informal updates. Once all issues are resolved, the project will be approved.
     

step 4   Permit Issuance

Once the project is approved, the applicant will receive an e-mail letting them know that the project has been approved. Permits may be purchased and plans may be downloaded on the AB+C Portal.

Tips for a successful Expedited Meeting

Expedited review meetings are an opportunity for plan reviewers and project design teams to collaborate, find code solutions, and make any necessary changes to the project. Follow these tips to improve your chances of achieving a successful outcome after an Expedited review meeting. 

  • If you are the applicant, a permit expeditor, registered architect, registered engineer, consultant, general contractor, owner, or signatory representative, make plans to attend the meeting. 
     
  • Attend the meeting prepared for a working session; this will allow the design team to change or correct plans during the Expedited meeting.
     
  • All plan sheets must be saved as individual sheets--not saved as a package. We strongly recommend simple file names such as A1, A01, or A-01 (no spaces, extra dashes/periods, etc). File names that include complex characters or formatting may cause complications and delays. 
    ** Please note that if adjustments to file names are necessary in order for staff to create an accurate Approved Record Set, additional fees may apply. 
     
  • Manage expectations—There is no guarantee an approval will be issued at the end of a review meeting. However, be assured that the plan reviewers will work to arrive at a solution for your project.  
Expedited Plan Review - Commercial

The Commercial Plan Review Division reviews and approves commercial and multi-family plans for new construction, remodels, and revisions to approved permits, change of uses, and certificate of occupancy/compliance. 

The team represents every discipline needed (Building, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Structure, Fire, Health, and Industrial Waste) to perform your plan review in the most efficient manner possible. 

There are other options for Commercial plan review besides Expedited Commercial Review. Visit the Commercial Plan Review webpage to learn more about these offerings.

Better Builder Standards

Commercial projects that are either 75,000+ square feet or $7.5 million or greater in construction value may be subject to participating in the Better Builder Program.  

For questions on the Better Builder Program, contact: Inmer Carbajal, Better Builder Director.

Process, Review Times, and Fees


step 1   Intake

  • Applicant must have an AB+C Portal account established. 
     
  • Download the Commercial Building application from the Forms and Applications webpage. Email the completed application to ExpeditedReview@austintexas.gov and wait for instructions on how to name and upload your plans.
     
  • After the Commercial building application is processed, the applicant will receive an email with a link to upload the construction documents and pay the completeness check invoice online through the AB+C Portal.
     
  • Expedited staff will conduct an “Intake Check” to verify all required documentation and documents have been uploaded.
     
  • View the Expedited Plan Review Fees (PDF).


step 2   Completeness Check

  • If the intake check passes, reviewers will have 10 business days to perform a pre-requisite review of the project, which is also known as a completeness check. 
     
  • A formal review meeting will be scheduled the day the project passes the intake check. 
     
  • After the ten day prerequisite review ends, the applicant receives prerequisite (completeness check) review comments and a plan review invoice. 
     
  • The prerequisite review is not a full review of plans. It is limited to a cursory, one-hour overview of the project. Additional comments may, and often do occur during the formal review meeting.
     
  • The plan review invoice must be paid prior to the scheduled meeting.
     
  • The applicant will address all prerequisite review comments prior to the formal meeting.


step 3   Formal Review

  • A full review of plans for the project is performed with the Expedited team and the project design team. 
     
  • At the end of the meeting, the applicant will receive a summary sheet indicating whether the project is approved, rejected, or left open to resolve minor issues. 
     
  • If the project is rejected, all updates must be submitted through the official update process and additional fees will apply.
     

step 4   Permit Issuance

Once the project is approved, the Applicant will receive an email confirmation. Permits may be purchased and plans may be downloaded on the AB+C Portal. 

Tips for a Successful Expedited Meeting

Expedited review meetings are an opportunity for plan reviewers and project design teams to collaborate, find code solutions and make any necessary changes to the project. To improve your chances of achieving a successful outcome after an Expedited review meeting, follow these tips. 

  • If you are the applicant, a permit expeditor, registered architect, registered engineer, consultant, general contractor, owner, or signatory representative, make plans to attend the meeting. 
     
  • Be prepared to revise and upload plans during the meeting; this will allow the COA review team to review corrected plans during the Expedited meeting. 
     
  • All plan sheets must be saved as individual sheets--not saved as a package. We strongly recommend simple file names such as A1, A01, or A-01 (no spaces, extra dashes/periods, etc). File names that include complex characters or formatting may cause complications and delays. 
    ** Please note that if adjustments to file names are necessary in order for staff to create an accurate Approved Record Set, additional fees may apply.
     
  • Upload responses to the initial Completeness Check comments prior to the live meeting. Plan reviewers will likely provide additional comments during the meeting. A completeness check is only a one-hour overview that verifies documents are in place and ensures the project is ready for a review meeting.
      
  • Manage expectations—There is no guarantee an approval will be issued at the end of a review meeting. However, be assured that the plan reviewers will work to arrive at a solution for your project.  
Resources

The Development Services Department's ProjectDox system is an electronic plan and document management system. This software provides an interactive review process for applicants and City reviewers to communicate and complete the entire plan review process online. Visit the ProjectDox webpage for helpful resources.