Problems and Progress on Dallas Permitting
Last week, the total permitting time for new single-family homes in Dallas had dropped to four weeks, tantalizingly close to the two-to-three-week milestone that the Dallas BA and city staff had mutually agreed upon as the goal. Well publicized delays saw the timeline balloon as high as 15 weeks earlier in the year.
Significant challenges still remain and serve as a reminder that the delays and the underlying problems causing them are far from solved. This week, permit turnaround times are back up to five weeks and production builders are still limited to five reviews each week.
“Rationing the rooftops that production builders can provide in Dallas is directly adversarial to the city’s housing goals,” said Dallas BA Executive Officer Phil Crone. “These are the builders who provide attainable housing that the city so desperately needs. They can’t afford to be on a pitch count.”
Builders seeking clarity continue to encounter confusion among departments. “One department tells me I need to place a new water meter in the sidewalk while another one says it cannot go there,” said one builder. “I’m losing valuable time and money waiting for them to decide amongst themselves what the rules are.”
In a recent council memo staff cited immense progress thanks to the help of third-party reviewers, which the Dallas BA advocated for. As of last week, 140 single-family projects remained in the plan review queue. According to the city, only four of those had waited more than two weeks for their first review.
“There has been progress and I’m hopeful we are through the most acute phase of this,” Crone said. “However, it is way too soon to fly the ‘mission accomplished’ banner with production builders encumbered, interdepartmental confusion persisting and timelines still eluding our goal.”
The Association will continue to remain on top of this issue and will provide members with continuous updates. Please continue to convey your experiences with the city, good or bad, via email to info@dallasbuilders.com.