What determines how long a building permit takes? And why are some applications delayed? We explain the key factors, the most common municipality comments, and how to avoid them from the start.
It is natural for every owner to ask before starting: how long does it take to get a building permit? The permit is the gateway between the idea and construction, and every extra week means a delay to the whole project schedule, and possibly to financial commitments with the contractor and the lender.
The honest answer is that the duration is not a fixed number. It depends on several factors, some in your hands and the engineering office's, and some related to the municipality and the nature of the plot. In this article we explain what counts as a normal timeframe, why some applications are delayed, which municipal comments are most common, and how to avoid them before they happen.
To understand the timeframe properly, it helps to divide the journey into stages, since each stage has its own nature and timing:
With the Balady platform, much of the procedure is now electronic, and review times have improved compared to the past. However, the total duration varies by municipality, building type, plot area, the subdivision plan the plot falls in, and how complete the file is. So we don't recommend relying on a timeframe you heard from someone else's experience, because their plot's circumstances may be completely different from yours.
The preparation and design stages are the ones most under your control and the office's. Making design decisions quickly, providing the correct documents, and approving the design without repeated changes all noticeably shorten the overall timeframe. The review period depends on the competent authority, but a high-quality file reduces the chance of repeat reviews.
When a permit application takes longer than expected, the cause is usually one or more of the following:
Notice that most of these causes are not in the government procedure itself but in the quality of preparation. That's good news, because it means a large part of the delay can be avoided.
Many owners count the permit timeframe from the day the application is uploaded to the platform, but significant time is often lost before that: waiting for a title deed update, arranging a power of attorney among several owners, long hesitation over the design, or switching between offices. This time doesn't show on the platform, but it delays the start of construction just as much as a slow review.
So when you set a schedule for your project, count the preparation and design stages as part of the permit timeframe, and start them as early as possible, especially if you have a commitment with a contractor or a set financing date.
When reviewing an application, the competent authority may issue comments requiring changes before approval. Comments vary from one application to another, but some types recur noticeably:
When a comment appears, the engineering office reads it carefully, identifies what needs to change, then revises the drawings and re-uploads them. What matters is addressing the root of the comment fully rather than fixing only part of it, because a partial response often opens a new round of comments. The faster and more complete the response, the less time is wasted.
Avoiding delays starts long before submission. These practical steps help reduce the chance of comments and shorten the timeframe:
At Build Plus Engineering Consultants we work under a certified ISO 9001:2015 quality system, and every permit file goes through an internal review before upload, aiming to minimize comments from the first submission. With over 11 years of experience and more than 334 clients, we know the recurring comments well and address them at the design stage before they reach the municipality.
Is your permit delayed, or do you want to get it right the first time? Book a free 15-minute consultation with a Build Plus engineer to review your application. Contact us on WhatsApp: 0503332019
In the end, the time it takes to get a building permit is no mystery. It is the sum of preparation time, review time and time spent on comments. The parts you can truly shorten are preparation and comments, with a complete file, a design built on the requirements, and prompt follow-up. Focus on these points and your path to the permit will be clearer and shorter.
The timeframe varies by municipality, building type, plot, file completeness and the number of comment rounds. The engineering office can estimate the closest timeframe for your case after reviewing the file.
Among the most common are comments on setbacks, building ratios and heights, specialized drawings not coordinated with the architectural ones, and missing technical details.
The best way is to respond quickly and fully to any comment, follow Balady notifications, and approve anything required of the owner without delay.
Usually yes, because any major change may require updating and re-reviewing several drawings, so it's best to finalize the design before uploading.
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