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Permit, licence, and land development application processing times are measured in calendar days from when a complete application is submitted to when a decision is made.
The City aims to meet the processing times within 75% of the target time or better. The average processing time and percentage of applications that were within targets are updated every 3 months.
Permits and licences are an important part of guiding development and helping ensure we are achieving the safe, inclusive, vibrant and walkable city envisioned by The City Plan. Establishing predictable, transparent service levels is part of Edmonton's Economic Action Plan, which includes actions to improve Edmonton’s regulatory processes and reduce red tape.
The development and construction application review process is a partnership between the City and the applicant to reach a decision. The processing time begins once the City receives a complete application and fees are paid.
A complete application is one that includes the information required for the initial technical review as stated in the minimum submission guidelines for each application type.
The application processing timeline includes City and partner agency time to review the application, obtain additional information from the applicant, and complete all detailed reviews.
If information is missing and not provided promptly or multiple revisions are required from the applicant during the review process, this adds to the length of time needed to complete the review.
The City encourages applicants to consider hiring professional contractors and designers to help ensure complete application submissions and avoid delays.
Any neighbour notification and/or appeal periods that may be required following the application decision are not included in the processing times. There may also be some variation in processing times during the peak construction season (March-August).
Note: To avoid delays before starting a project, homeowners are encouraged to visit the home improvement permits page to confirm if their project requires a permit and what information is needed to submit a complete permit application.
Home improvement permit application processing times for interior or exterior renovations to existing single-detached and semi-detached houses, row houses up to 4 units, secondary suites, decks and accessory structures, like sheds and detached garages, associated with these housing types.
Refer to the Commercial, Industrial, and Multi-Unit Residential Alteration Permits section for permit application processing times for interior and exterior renovations to multi-unit housing (such as apartments and/or condos - including renovations to the interior of individual residential suites), and row houses with 5 or more units. For backyard housing please refer to the New Home Construction Permits section.
| Target Processing Time by Permit Type Includes both building and development permit | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
| Simple Projects - 25 days Includes decks (single platforms in backyards less than 6 feet high), demolitions, detached garages (standard designs less than 55 square metres for single detached houses), home renovations and basements, hot tubs and swimming pools | 78% within target, 14-day average |
| Regular Projects - 40 days Includes decks, detached garages, home additions, secondary (basement) suites, sheds, gazebos, pergolas and carports | 72% within target, 36-day average |
| Renewable Energy System - 10 days Includes solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal (hot water), geoexchange systems | 96% within target, 2-day average |
Permit application processing times for new low-density residential construction in both infill (development of new housing in established neighbourhoods) and greenfield (development on land that has not previously been developed) areas. This includes single-detached houses, semi-detached houses and side-by-side row houses up to 4 units with or without secondary (basement) suites, as well as backyard housing.
Greenfield development permits for single detached and semi-detached houses use an auto-review process. If an application complies with the Auto-Review criteria, the Development Permit can be issued the same day, greatly reducing timelines, especially during peak construction season.
New home construction projects can request an expedited partial building permit for construction of the foundation and main floor deck of the project. If a project meets the conditions & limitations, it allows construction to start in advance of the final Building Permit being issued.
For new multi-unit residential buildings, including side-by-side row houses with 5 or more units and stacked row houses, please refer to the Commercial, Industrial, and Multi-Unit Residential Construction processing times section.
| Target Processing Time By Permit Type | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
| Development Permit: Greenfield - 20 days | 87% within target, 10-day average |
| Building Permit: Greenfield - 35 days | 89% within target, 18-day average |
| Development Permit: Infill - 40 days | 36% within target, 71-day average |
| Building Permit: Infill - 35 days | 68% within target, 34-day average |
Permit application processing times for interior and exterior alterations and renovations, demolitions, or changes in business activities to the individual units or common areas of existing commercial, industrial, institutional, mixed-use, or multi-unit residential buildings. Multi-unit residential buildings include duplexes, row houses with 5 or more units, stacked row houses, and apartments or condos.
Also includes processing times for stand-alone temporary structures and hoarding associated with the above building types. For decks and accessory structures, such as sheds and detached garages, associated with single detached houses, semi-detached houses and row houses with up to 4 units, please refer to the Home Improvement Permit processing times section.
| Target Processing Time by Permit Type | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
| Development Permit: Alterations and Change of Use - 30 days | 59% within target, 35-day average |
Building Permit: Alterations, Stand-alone Temporary Structures and Hoarding - 60 days Includes office trailers, storage sheds and sea cans. | 74% within target, 55-day average |
Permit application processing times for new construction or additions to commercial, industrial, institutional, and mixed-use (blend of commercial and residential), and multi-unit residential housing buildings. Multi-unit residential buildings include duplexes, row houses with 5 or more units, stacked row houses, and apartments or condos.
| Target Processing Time By Permit Type | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
| Development Permit: New Commercial, Mixed-Use or Industrial - 75 days | 42% within target, 97-day average |
Development Permit: New Multi-Unit Residential - 90 days Includes side-by-side row houses with 5 or more units, stacked row houses and apartments or condos without commercial space. | 22% within target, 195-day average |
| Building Permit: New Commercial, Mixed-Use, Industrial, Stacked Row House, Apartment or Condo - 120 days | 70% within target, 115-day average |
| Building Permit: New Side-by-Side Row House with 5 or more units - 70 days | 96% within target, 36-day average |
The City regulates signs on private and public property to manage the type, size, location and other features, such as light pollution, that may impact the surrounding community.
| Target Processing Time by Permit Type | Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
Permanent Sign - 10 days Are anchored into the ground or affixed to or painted onto a building or other structure that cannot readily be removed from a site. May have static or animated non-digital content. | 96% within target, 2-day average |
Digital Sign - 30 days Content can be changed remotely without having to manually or mechanically replace the sign face or its components. | 29% within target, 32-day average |
Portable Sign - 5 days Used for short-term advertising and easily removable. Includes bridge banners, temporary signs on private property such as sandwich boards, road right-of-way signs, and show-home wayfinding signs. | 100% within target, <0-day average |
Permit application processing times for stand-alone trade permits in residential and commercial locations. Trade permits include the installation or alteration of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, gas, and electrical systems. A stand-alone trade permit is for projects that include only trade work; no building permit is needed.
| Target Processing Time by Permit Type | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
| Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) - 3 days | 75% within target, 5-day average |
| Plumbing and Gas - 3 days | 66% within target, 4-day average |
| Electrical - 3 days | 75% within target, 5-day average |
Time between when a residential inspection is first requested and the first available inspection date. Work is not complete until it passes all required inspections.
Find real-time inspection availability by visiting the inspections tab on the SelfServe project dashboard.
| Target Scheduling Time By Inspection Type | Actual Scheduling Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
Building (Structure) Inspections - 5 days* Includes foundation inspections | 49% within target 6-day average |
| Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Inspections - 5 days* | 90% within target 3-day average |
| Plumbing and Gas Inspections - 5 days* | 60% within target 5-day average |
| Electrical Inspections - 5 days* | 98% within target 1-day average |
*Business days, not including weekends and statutory holidays
Business Licence Bylaw 20002 states that every person or company that conducts business in Edmonton is required to have a business licence. Processing times do not include the time needed to obtain any development or building permits that may be required before the licence can be issued.
| Target Processing Time by Licence Type | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
Home-based - 20 days A home-based business operates out of a residential location. Most do not need a development permit. | 78% within target, 14-day average |
Commercial-based - 35 days A commercial business operates out of a commercial or industrial location. Development and building permits are required first when changing from the current approved use or when constructing or renovating the business premises. | 86% within target, 23-day average |
Commercial-based: Fire and Police Consultation - 20 days Some commercial businesses require consultation as the final step before a licence is issued. Time is in addition to the above commercial-based business processing time. | 89% within target, 11-day average |
Based Out of Town - 10 days An out-of-town business is based outside the city of Edmonton but conducts business in Edmonton. Development and building permits are not required. | 91% within target, 5-day average |
Land Development includes rezonings, plan amendments, subdivisions and endorsements, and servicing agreements and engineering drawing review.
Processing times indicate how long it takes for the City to review a rezoning or plan amendment application, make a recommendation for Council’s consideration, and advance it to City Council Public Hearing for a decision.
Public Hearings are typically held every two weeks; however, there are breaks in the schedule that may impact processing times. For more information see the Rezoning Application Timeline Breakdown .
| Target Processing Time by Application Type | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
Non-Complex Rezoning - 90 days Conforms with City guidelines and neighbourhood plans, aren’t a change in land use or scale (low-density to low-density), don’t require public engagement beyond notifying surrounding landowners, and have minimal servicing/infrastructure and technical implications. | 33% within target, 97-day average |
Complex Rezoning - 160 days Involve a plan amendment, change of land use or scale (residential to commercial, or low-density to higher density) and typically require formal public engagement beyond notifying surrounding landowners. | 68% within target, 162-day average |
Subdivision is the process of dividing a property into 2 or more legal lots. Subdivision is a 2-part process - conditional approval and endorsement. Separate applications, fees and processing times apply to each part.
Conditional Approval - Conditional approval is the process of determining what conditions will need to be met to subdivide lots.
Endorsement - The endorsement process confirms that the conditional subdivision approval requirements have been met.
| Target Processing Time by Application Type | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
Conditional Approval: Subdivision - 100 days Includes complex, non-complex, and change request applications. | 69% within target, 98-day average |
Conditional Approval: Residential Lot Split - 60 days Subdivision of an existing residential lot to create additional single or semi-detached, duplex, or row housing lots. | 89% within target, 42-day average |
Endorsement - 18 days Includes all major and minor endorsements. | 39% within target, 55-day average |
Servicing agreements ensure development is constructed according to City standards and that the developer pays for the development’s share of the infrastructure from which it will benefit. As part of the servicing agreement, a developer may be required to submit engineering drawings for review.
| Target Processing Time | Actual Processing Time October-December 2024 |
|---|---|
| Engineering Drawing Review - 100 days | 32% within target 132-day average |