The planning mistake most owners make

The most common permitting mistake isn't choosing the wrong city or the wrong architect. It's treating the permit phase as zero. 'We'll start construction in June' is a plan that ignores 4–6 weeks of permit review, plus 2–4 weeks of upstream design coordination. By the time the drawings that need to be submitted are actually ready, June has become August.

DFW permit windows by city (directional)

Texas is one of the fastest commercial permitting environments in the country — but 'fast' is relative. Here's where DFW cities land:

The 3–8 week range for DFW suburbs is achievable — but it assumes a complete, code-compliant first submittal. High growth volume in Frisco and surrounding cities means review queues fluctuate. Submitting in lower-volume months (roughly December through February) tends to be faster. A resubmittal cycle — triggered by incomplete drawings or code deficiencies — adds 2–4 weeks per round.

• Plano: Modern online portal, generally 3–6 weeks for standard commercial TI. Strong growth volume — plan the queue into your schedule.
• Frisco: Adopted 2024 IBC effective March 1, 2026 (see section below). 3–6 weeks, but verify current code for drawings prepared under earlier code cycles.
• McKinney, Allen: Among the consistently faster DFW markets, 3–5 weeks for a well-prepared submittal. Growth volume rising.
• Prosper, Richardson: Similar to suburban peers, 3–6 weeks. Prosper growing rapidly — queue times will extend.
• Dallas proper: City of Dallas is a larger jurisdiction with a more complex review process. Contractors must hold City of Dallas business licensing. Budget 6–12 weeks minimum.

The 2024 IBC adoption in Frisco (and what it means)

Frisco adopted the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) with local amendments effective March 1, 2026. If your design documents were prepared under the 2021 or 2018 IBC, your architect needs to revisit them before submittal — submitting under the wrong code cycle is one of the most avoidable causes of permit delay.

• Energy code updates: References updated ASHRAE 90.1 requirements, affecting mechanical system specifications, envelope performance, and lighting controls. HVAC designs prepared under the 2021 cycle may need re-engineering.
• Accessibility: Incorporates expanded accessibility provisions aligned with current ADA guidance — affects accessible routes, restroom layouts, and reach-range requirements. Particularly relevant for medical and retail.
• Life safety and egress: Updated requirements apply in several occupancy types — confirm with your architect which classifications trigger changes in your project.

Permit types most commercial projects need

A typical commercial project in DFW touches multiple permit types — not just the core building permit. Missing one can halt your CO:

• Building permit — the core: full plan review of structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing.
• Change of use permit — required when converting occupancy (e.g., retail → restaurant or office → medical). Triggers added code requirements and often extends review.
• Shell vs. TI permits — separate permits for the building shell and the tenant finish-out are common. The shell can be permitted first to allow early sitework.
• Trade permits — electrical, plumbing, mechanical each have their own permit pulled by the trade contractor.
• Health department permit (restaurants, some medical) — a parallel process with its own timeline.
• TDLR accessibility review — Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation reviews accessibility for commercial projects.
• Fire marshal review — for projects above a certain size or occupancy type.
• Sign permits — if you're adding exterior signage, this is a separate city permit with its own design requirements.

Four practices that compress the timeline

Pereff manages the permitting process in-house for every project. Four practices consistently reduce the effective review period:

• Pre-application meeting with the building department: We request a meeting with the city plan reviewer before formal submittal to surface any concerns about occupancy classification, change-of-use triggers, or code interpretation. A 45-minute meeting can eliminate a 3-week resubmittal cycle.
• Complete, code-compliant first submittals: We coordinate architect, MEP engineer, and structural engineer drawings before we touch the submit button. Incomplete submissions are the number-one cause of permit delays in every jurisdiction.
• Early/foundation permits where available: On ground-up projects, we pursue a foundation-only permit so sitework and footings can start while the full building review finishes. This compresses the critical path by 3–5 weeks.
• Long-lead item procurement runs parallel to permitting: Rooftop units, switchgear, specialty MEP equipment, and custom-fabricated items are ordered as soon as design is sufficiently advanced — we don't wait for the permit to land.

How to build a realistic total project timeline

A useful framing: total project time = design + permitting + construction + closeout. People consistently underestimate the first two:

Add closeout — final inspections, Certificate of Occupancy, punch list — which typically takes days to a few weeks. A Temporary CO (TCO) can sometimes allow partial occupancy while minor items finish. Design-build compresses the design-to-permit phase because the architect and contractor are coordinating in real time rather than sequentially.