Expedited Site Plan Review
Notice
Beginning October 1, 2026, the Public Project Review team has transitioned to Expedited Site Plan Review. It will remain an option for school district and city-sponsored projects.
Our Services
The Expedited Site Plan Review program allows reviewers to provide designers with feedback earlier in the review process. This should shorten the formal review process by reducing the number of update cycles, saving time and money. Projects that may qualify for the program should include proposals requiring a new site plan or site plan revision in the earliest stages of designing their civil plans.
We offer:
- Meetings to outline the permitting process and provide design feedback
- Designated staff to provide support and communication
- Experienced plans examiners to work with you on design and code criteria
- Site Plan Review
Eligibility
The Expedited Site Plan Review team collaborates with applicants throughout design milestones to offer comprehensive feedback, so projects submitted through this process should ideally still be in the earliest stages of design. We require three consultations before accepting a site plan application and final package for formal review. We defer Site Plan Correction and Exemptions to Land Use Assistance.
All scopes of civil work requiring a new or revised site plan with less than ~30% design completed, including:
- Commercial
- City-funded (bond-funded or city budget line item), sponsored, or managed by the City of Austin
- Council-priority
- Open enrollment Independent School Districts within the City of Austin's jurisdiction
Process Overview
Expedited Site Plan staff and the design team will work together throughout a series of meetings to provide feedback and overcome design obstacles. View the Expedited Site Plan Review Process Flowchart (PDF) for an overview, or check out the steps for more information.
Complete the Project Initiation Form to provide detailed information about your new project. This helps Expedited Site Plan staff understand your proposed project. The initial meeting is a paid service, and you will need an active Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) ID for the billing party when you submit the form.
After you submit the Project Initiation Form, you will be prompted to schedule a Project Orientation. Expedited Site Plan Review staff will email you an invoice for the orientation. You must pay the invoice before the scheduled orientation meeting. You must have an active AB+C Portal account in order to pay online or visit the Cashier Services webpage for other payment options. If you do not pay for the requested orientation by the day before the scheduled meeting, you will need to reschedule once we receive payment.
AB+C Portal ID
You can find your AB+C ID by logging into the AB+C Portal and navigating to "My Profile."
If you do not have an AB+C account, please register for an AB+C Portal account as a first-time user. If you need help, please call Austin 3-1-1 or refer to the AB+C Manual .
The Expedited Site Plan Orientation meeting is required. This initial meeting is 30 minutes and outlines the project scope and provides guidance on the permitting process. Meeting topics include:
- Project Feasibility
- Project Scope
- Common Permitting Hurdles
- Unique Site Challenges
- Identify Permitting Path
- Outline Expedited Site Plan Review Process and Timelines
Typical applicant attendees include project managers, sponsored department representatives, civil engineers, architects, and other design team members prepared to speak on behalf of the project scope.
After the orientation meeting, we email a meeting recap along with a link to set up your Bluebeam account. All intake submittals and reviews are completed in Bluebeam before consultations.
After Project Orientation, the applicant will receive an email with an invoice for the fees due and instructions for payment. Fees are assessed per consultation and are subject to change per fiscal year. Visit the Fees section to learn more and view the fee schedule.
Payment Options
You can pay fees online through your account in the AB+C Portal or visit the Cashier Services webpage for other payment options. Contact the Expedited Site Plan Review team if you are paying by Journal Voucher (JV) or if you have questions about fee payment.
Depending on the scope of work, Project Orientation will be followed by a series of Site Plan Consultations. Expedited Site Plan will provide checklists and guidelines with the documents required for the consultations before the meetings. Visit the Forms and Applications webpage for required applications and supplementary documents. We will schedule consultations only if you submit the required documents in Bluebeam, they are ready for review, and you have paid the fees. Consultations are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Early Design Consultation: Meet with the permitting review and project design teams to highlight any initial permitting issues with preliminary design work.
- Mid-Design Consultation: This meeting commences as feedback from the initial consultation is implemented, and the plans are closer to completion (60%). All comments from the Early Design Consultation must be addressed before your Mid-Design Consultation is scheduled.
- Pre-Submittal Consultation: This meeting occurs near the end (90%) of the design team’s work to ensure everything required for formal review is prepared and submitted accordingly. All comments from the Mid-Design Consultation must be addressed before your Pre-Submittal Consultation is scheduled. This submittal is combined with Completeness Check.
- Technical Meetings: These meetings are scheduled by request for specific disciplines on code, agreement language, or other technical design concerns.
Once ready to submit for Formal Review, upload your application, final plan sets, supporting documents, and pre-submittal responses to comments to your project folder in Bluebeam. All comments from your consultations must be addressed before being submitted for formal review. After uploading the required documents, email your assigned project coordinator and the Expedited Site Plan team.
We verify uploads, and staff will contact the applicant listed on the permit application with an invoice for fees due. The formal review will begin once the invoiced plan review fees are paid.
Payment Options
You can pay fees online through your account in the AB+C Portal or visit the Cashier Services webpage for other payment options. Contact the Expedited Site Plan team if you are paying by Journal Voucher (JV) or if you have questions about fee payment.
Before moving forward, address all comments from each review cycle in Bluebeam.
Upon entering Formal Review, a case manager is assigned to the project and will serve as your liaison. They help your team communicate with the reviewers. The same reviewers you worked with during the consultations will review your application and supporting documents.
Once your site plan application is approved, we will issue the permit. You do not need to activate it.
Posting Permits
The General Contractor must print and display the permits on site.
Inspections
Site inspections are required throughout construction. Questions about inspections should be directed to the appropriate inspection group. Required inspections can be discussed during consultations with the specific review discipline.
- Pre-Construction Inspections - Visit the Environmental Inspections webpage for information on scheduling the pre-construction inspection meetings.
- Utility Cut Inspections – Visit the Utility Cut Inspections webpage for more information.
Fiscal Surety Release
After the improvements required in your approved plan are complete, the City Inspector will release the fiscal surety deposit or posting after inspecting the required improvements, if fiscal surety was posted.
Based on the scope of your project, choose between Expedited Building Plan Review and Commercial Building Plan Review to submit your application. Consult your assigned Case Manager if you have questions.
- Expedited Plan Review projects are typically larger and more complex construction projects.
- Commercial Building Plan Review projects can be any type of commercial construction project.
- Fees vary between the two review types.
Fees
Expedited Site Plan Review fees are assessed at an hourly rate. The fees in this table reflect the total cost of consultation services, including the number of staff hours needed to prepare for and complete each consultation, and they are charged via the "ESP Consultation Fee." Fees are assessed per consultation and are subject to change per fiscal year.
Visit the DSD Fees webpage for a complete list of all fees.
Contact Us
For questions, contact ExpeditedSitePlan@austintexas.gov.
Fill out the Project Initiation form to notify our team and start collaborating.