How to Check Which Permits and Approvals Your Construction Project Needs

There is no universal permit checklist for construction. The approvals depend on the parcel, proposed use, size and type of work, land disturbance, access, utilities, and environmental constraints. Start with the planning or zoning and building departments serving the property, then screen the project with the agencies responsible for stormwater, floodplains, wetlands, roads, utilities, fire safety, and other applicable issues. Ask each agency for a written determination, required documents, review order, inspections, and conditions before work begins.

Why the answer is site-specific

A house addition, warehouse, subdivision, demolition, roadway improvement, and utility trench can all require different approvals—even when they are on neighboring parcels. The controlling factors usually include:

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• The city, county, town, special district, tribal authority, or state jurisdiction that serves the parcel.
• The proposed use, occupancy, floor area, height, construction type, and whether the project is new construction, an alteration, an addition, or a demolition.
• Grading, excavation, paving, tree removal, drainage changes, and the amount of soil disturbance.
• Driveway, curb, sidewalk, street-occupancy, traffic-control, and utility work.
• Flood hazard, wetlands, streams, shorelines, steep slopes, protected habitat, historic status, contaminated land, or other regulated conditions.

A web search or an informal answer at a counter can identify possible triggers, but it is not a permit. Treat the final, parcel-specific determination from the responsible authority as the controlling answer.

Step 1: Assemble a project and property brief

Before contacting an agency, put the basic facts in one document. Staff can only give a useful preliminary answer when they understand both the site and the complete scope.

Property information

• Street address and parcel or assessor number.
• Legal owner and applicant contact information.
• City, county, and any special district or unincorporated-area status.
• Existing zoning, current use, lot size, and known easements or access restrictions.

Project information

• New building, addition, interior alteration, change of use, demolition, grading, or a combination.
• Proposed use and occupancy, floor area, number of stories, height, construction type, and estimated valuation.
• Site plan or concept drawings showing buildings, setbacks, parking, driveways, utilities, drainage, retaining walls, and limits of disturbance.
• Excavation and fill quantities, slope work, paving, tree removal, and the estimated acreage disturbed.
• Construction start and duration, staging areas, access routes, and anticipated equipment.
• New or modified water, sewer, septic, power, gas, telecommunications, or fire-service connections.

Known constraints

Flag anything already known about wetlands, streams, shorelines, flood hazard areas, floodways, steep slopes, protected trees, habitat, historic designation, archaeological resources, or contaminated soil. If a survey, geotechnical report, wetland delineation, environmental assessment, or preliminary utility plan exists, include it. A concept drawing is enough to start a conversation; the agency may later require stamped plans or technical studies.

Step 2: Identify every local authority

Use the official website for the city or county that serves the parcel to find the planning or zoning, building, engineering or public works, fire, utilities, and right-of-way offices. Some jurisdictions use one intake portal; others require separate applications. A parcel outside an incorporated city may be regulated by the county, and special districts or state agencies may control utilities or roads.

Ask the intake staff to confirm the governing jurisdiction before discussing the details. Then request:

• A written list of potentially applicable approvals and the trigger for each one.
• The required application forms, drawings, calculations, reports, fees, and formatting standards.
• Whether a pre-application or pre-submittal meeting is available.
• Which reviews must be completed before another application can be accepted.
• Whether public notice, a hearing, design review, variance, conditional-use approval, subdivision approval, or environmental determination is required.
• Inspection, testing, erosion-control, certificate-of-occupancy, and closeout requirements.

Seattle’s published process illustrates why one building application may not be enough: land-use intake, transportation review, stormwater materials, and environmentally critical-area documentation can be separate workstreams. Those pages describe Seattle’s rules, not a nationwide standard, so use them only as a reminder of the questions to ask locally.

Step 3: Screen zoning and land-use approvals

Confirm the use is allowed

Planning staff should confirm whether the proposed use is permitted outright, allowed only with conditions, or prohibited in the zone. A change from a residence to an office, short-term lodging, restaurant, workshop, or other use can trigger land-use review even when the physical alteration is small.

Check dimensional and site standards

Ask about setbacks, height, lot coverage, floor-area limits, parking, loading, landscaping, lighting, access, signs, fencing, and design standards. A project that cannot meet a standard may need an adjustment, variance, or redesign before a building permit can be issued.

Look for discretionary approvals

Conditional-use permits, design review, subdivision or lot-line changes, shoreline review, and similar approvals may involve public notice or a hearing. Confirm whether an approval is required before building-plan review or whether both tracks can proceed concurrently. Do not assume that a building permit cures a zoning problem; the two reviews serve different purposes.

Step 4: Separate building, trade, and site-work permits

The building department typically evaluates structural safety, fire and life safety, accessibility, energy requirements, and other adopted building codes. Depending on the project, separate permits or sub-permits may cover electrical, plumbing, mechanical, elevators, fire alarms, sprinklers, or specialized systems.

Site work can be a separate approval path. Ask specifically about:

• Grading, excavation, fill, retaining walls, and erosion-control measures.
• Storm drains, detention or water-quality facilities, and drainage connections.
• Driveway or curb cuts, sidewalk closures, lane or street occupancy, and traffic control.
• Tree removal, replacement planting, vegetation clearing, and habitat protection.
• Water, sewer, septic, fire-flow, power, gas, and telecommunications connections.
• Demolition, asbestos or lead surveys, hauling routes, and disposal documentation where applicable.

Ask whether a site-development or civil-engineering package must be approved before the building application, and whether separate inspections are required for underground utilities, foundations, drainage, or erosion controls.

Step 5: Check construction stormwater requirements

Use the federal threshold as a screening question

EPA construction-stormwater guidance identifies a common trigger for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) coverage: construction stormwater is discharged and the project disturbs one or more acres. A smaller phase can also be covered when it is part of a common plan of development or sale that will ultimately disturb at least one acre.

The acreage test is not the only question. Confirm:

• Who is the operator responsible for construction activities.
• Where stormwater will discharge and whether that discharge is regulated.
• Which authority issues coverage—the state, tribe, territory, or EPA.
• Whether the project is eligible for a general permit or needs individual authorization.
• Whether a stormwater pollution prevention plan, erosion-control plan, inspections, sampling, or a notice of intent is required.

Ask about local requirements below the federal threshold

A city or state may require grading, erosion, drainage, or water-quality controls for projects smaller than one acre. Conversely, a project that exceeds an acre may need both federal or state stormwater coverage and local site-development approval. Have the agency calculate disturbance across the entire common plan rather than only the first phase.

Step 6: Screen floodplain and floodway rules

Use FEMA’s current map resources to screen the parcel, but do not treat a map viewer as a permit decision. Ask the local floodplain administrator whether the site is in a mapped special flood-hazard area or floodway and whether the proposed work qualifies as development under local floodplain rules.

Potential requirements include a floodplain-development permit, elevation information, a no-rise or hydraulic analysis in a floodway, engineered foundation details, compensatory storage, or limitations on fill. The administrator can also explain whether the effective map, a pending map change, or a locally adopted study controls.

FEMA’s permit checklist advises obtaining applicable federal, state, and other local permits before local floodplain development approval. Ask the administrator to identify those prerequisite approvals and to state the required sequence in writing.

Step 7: Investigate wetlands, streams, and other waters

If filling, dredging, excavating, piling, culverting, shoreline work, or access construction could affect a wetland, stream, river, lake, or other jurisdictional water, contact the appropriate U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulatory district early. The Corps reviews a broad range of construction activities in waters, including wetlands, but jurisdiction and authorization depend on the specific location, activity, and current rules.

Also contact the relevant state and local resource agencies. They may require a wetland delineation, buffer review, mitigation plan, state water-quality certification, shoreline authorization, or habitat conditions even when a federal Corps permit is not required. Do not rely on a property listing, generic map, or visual inspection to conclude that no wetland is present.

Step 8: Check other environmental, transportation, and infrastructure triggers

Road and right-of-way work

A private driveway connection, curb cut, sidewalk closure, lane closure, crane placement, utility trench, or material staging in a public right-of-way may require approval from a transportation or public-works agency. Ask who controls the road, whether a traffic-control plan is required, and whether restoration standards or a bond applies.

Utilities and fire protection

Utility providers or public works departments may require capacity confirmation, connection permits, easements, backflow protection, fire-flow calculations, or inspections. The fire authority may separately review hydrants, fire lanes, alarm systems, sprinklers, emergency access, and hazardous materials.

Historic, habitat, and contaminated-site constraints

Historic designation, archaeological sensitivity, protected species, critical habitat, trees, shoreline resources, or contaminated soil can add surveys, mitigation, monitoring, or agency consultation. Ask planning staff which specialist must make the determination and whether work is prohibited until that review is complete.

State and federal environmental review

Some public projects, projects using public funds, or projects requiring a state or federal discretionary approval may undergo environmental review. The responsible agency—not the contractor—determines whether that process applies and what document is required. Ask about it at the first scoping meeting because it can affect design, public notice, and schedule.

Build a permit matrix instead of relying on memory

Record every potential approval in a project permit matrix. Keep the name of the official who confirmed applicability and the date of the response. A useful matrix looks like this:

If an item does not apply, record the agency’s written “not applicable” determination rather than leaving the cell blank. That creates an audit trail when the project changes or personnel turn over.

Confirm the sequence and dependencies

Ask every agency the same practical question: “What must be approved before I submit the building permit, disturb soil, occupy the right-of-way, or start construction?” Common dependencies include:

1. Planning confirms the use, zoning standards, and any discretionary land-use path.
2. Environmental or resource agencies determine whether wetlands, waters, floodplain, habitat, historic, or contamination reviews apply.
3. Engineering reviews grading, drainage, access, utilities, and stormwater controls.
4. Stormwater coverage and erosion controls are obtained before regulated land disturbance.
5. Building, trade, and fire plans are submitted with evidence of prerequisite approvals.
6. Inspections, testing, stabilization, restoration, and final sign-offs are completed before occupancy or closeout.

This is a planning framework, not a universal order. Local authorities can combine reviews, require parallel applications, or impose a different sequence. FEMA specifically advises obtaining applicable federal, state, and other local permits before local floodplain development approval, while other jurisdictions may set additional dependencies.

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Use a pre-submittal meeting strategically

For a complex project, request a pre-submittal or pre-application conference and send the project brief in advance. Ask representatives from planning, building, engineering, stormwater, transportation, fire, utilities, and floodplain or environmental programs to attend when possible. Seattle recommends pre-submittal conferences for selected complex projects; availability and scope differ elsewhere.

Bring a marked-up site plan and leave with answers to these questions:

• Which approvals are definitely required, potentially required, or not applicable?
• What survey, study, calculation, or professional seal is needed for each submission?
• What review can proceed in parallel and what is a hard prerequisite?
• Are public notice, hearing, neighborhood notification, or agency consultation involved?
• What construction activities are prohibited before approval?
• What inspections, monitoring reports, bonds, maintenance agreements, and final documents are needed?

Send meeting notes back to the agencies and ask them to correct any misunderstanding. Keep the response with the permit matrix.

Verify approval before work starts

Before clearing, grading, excavation, demolition, utility trenching, or mobilization, confirm that each required approval has actually been issued—not merely applied for. Check the permit number, approved drawings, expiration date, conditions, inspection schedule, and any required posting or notice.

Make the superintendent and subcontractors work from the approved plans. Protect erosion controls, floodplain requirements, wetland buffers, tree-protection zones, traffic controls, and utility clearances exactly as conditioned. Schedule required inspections before covering work. Keep inspection reports, photographs, test results, delivery records, stormwater logs, and agency correspondence in the project file.

If the design, disturbance area, drainage pattern, access route, occupancy, or construction sequence changes, stop and ask the issuing agencies whether a revision, new permit, or supplemental review is required. A permit for one scope does not automatically authorize a materially different scope.

Common mistakes and how to correct them

Assuming a building permit covers the whole project

Problem: Land-use, grading, stormwater, right-of-way, utility, floodplain, or environmental approvals are missed.

Correction: Obtain separate determinations from planning, building, engineering, transportation, utilities, fire, and resource agencies, then document whether each review applies.

Measuring only the first phase of disturbance

Problem: A phased project is treated as smaller than the common plan that ultimately disturbs one acre or more.

Correction: Map and calculate disturbance for the entire common plan and ask the stormwater authority to confirm the result.

Relying on a FEMA map alone

Problem: A map screen is mistaken for a floodplain-development decision, or floodway and local requirements are overlooked.

Correction: Take the map information to the local floodplain administrator and request a parcel-specific determination and required elevation or hydraulic documentation.

Treating a wet area as non-jurisdictional by appearance

Problem: Wetlands or waters are filled, crossed, or graded before resource review.

Correction: Ask the appropriate Corps district and state or local agencies whether a delineation, jurisdictional determination, or authorization is needed before design and site work.

Starting work after an informal conversation

Problem: A preliminary answer is treated as permission to begin.

Correction: Wait for issued approvals, approved plans, required coverage, and written conditions. Clarify inspection and closeout obligations at the same time.

Ignoring a different governing authority

Problem: The applicant contacts the city even though the parcel is unincorporated, in a special district, or affected by state or tribal jurisdiction.

Correction: Confirm jurisdiction using the parcel address and assessor information, then ask every agency whether another authority must sign off.

A practical call script

When contacting an agency, give the address and parcel number first, then say:

“We are proposing [type of work and use] at this parcel. The project will involve approximately [floor area], [height or stories], [disturbed acreage], [grading or excavation], and [utility, driveway, or right-of-way work]. The site may have [floodplain, wetland, slope, historic, habitat, or other constraint]. Please identify every approval your agency requires, the documents and studies needed, which approvals must come first, whether a meeting is recommended, and the inspections and closeout documents required. Please confirm the determination in writing.”

Attach the concept plan and project brief, but label them preliminary. The agency may require a different plan set for formal intake.

What a complete answer looks like

A project is ready to enter construction planning when the permit matrix identifies each applicable approval, the responsible authority, the trigger, required submission, dependency, fee or review step, conditions, inspection, and closeout. The file should also contain written “not applicable” determinations for plausible triggers that were screened out.

Because requirements vary by location and scope, the reliable method is not finding a universal checklist. It is building a parcel-specific approval map, verifying it with the authorities that have legal jurisdiction, and updating it whenever the design or site conditions change.

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