Been waiting six weeks to get our renovations approved. I think they shut down for a few weeks when the first COVID shutdown happened and they're slammed.

Anybody know any tips to grease the wheels?

We're using a contractor and I take it as a very good sign that he is not pressing us to get started without permits. We are doing demo but can't get moving on the rest of it.

I don't know if reno is the same office as new build, but my buddy that is a custom builder gets to the office with plans in hand at like 0400 and plans to stay all day. Never sends by mail because of the wait.

Insane process. But with cops and crime and homeless and COVID, not a priority to fix.

Good luck. City of Dallas permits have been running 8-10 weeks minimum lately for commercial work.

Took me 6 week, you have to be nice but the squeaky wheel

OCMOC is pretty dead.

The OP said renovations, not additions.

Why arent they just approving plans from home. Run a covid neg courier and mail the permit. OMFG that would make sense.

Apparently they're actually in-process now. Should be early next week. We will see.

Lack of permits isn't really slowing anything down YET.

Any updates here? We'll be submitting plans for a new build in East Dallas in a month or two and was curious what to expect. That being said, if lumber doesn't start coming back down soon we may elect to delay either way.

We got approved this morning. We submitted on May 28 so a little over nine weeks.

I would hope they've worked off some of their backlog and submissions they're getting now aren't taking quite as long.

If worse comes to worst you can always harass your city council person. We had to do that one time and it got resolved ASAP. Pretty easy to actually get them. Surprising really.

FYI, a few weeks ago, the Jefferson Street offices were shut down for several days due to an electrical fire in the basement. As a result, I would assume that the "terrible on a good day" level of service has gotten even worse. I am an architect in the area, and it is not unusual for even a small project to take 2-3 months for approval in the City of Dallas.