Not all City Plan Checking review process is created equal. I have experienced some cities where they issue the building permit at the end of the project and some that will make you jump thru so many hoops just to build a new wall.
The City of Vancouver has a couple different permit review processes depending on the type of project and the location of the project. The quickest and most basic review process for commercial interiors is the T.I.P.S or Field Review. If you hire a design or construction professional these applications are typically easy and strait forward. Depending on how many applications are currently submitted at the city of Vancouver it can take 2-6 weeks to get a permit. The trick to these applications is to address the ASHRAE and Sprinklers early in the process. Have your Electrical consultant provide the ASHRAE forms and only use a design build sprinkler installer. This will save you time and money on your project.
If you are applying for a Building permit for a Restaurant, or Building Renovation building permit get ready for an extensive and lengthily application process.
If you do the following you will reduce the time it takes to get a permit by weeks or months.
1) Hire The Right Team
2) Pay for Overtime
3) Constant Follow-up
How to hire the right team:
1) Ask your commercial broker for recommendations
2) Ask your network what they have done
3) Ask the City for a list of Designers/Engineers that typically deal with Kitchen Hoods as an example.
Pay for Overtime:
Ask your design team to provide a overtime request to the city. There is a fee of $250hr and your plan checker will provide the amount of hours needed to review your permit. The additional monies typically saves you time. Your team should get faster responses and review time lines from the city.
Constant Follow-Up:
Follow up with the city and your design team responsible for the permit application. If you have the right team and paid for the over-time you will still need to follow up with all parties involved. Typically, no one is more motivated to get the permit than the client themselves. Just keep calling, the squeaky wheel gets fixed.
Thanks for reading and Good luck!