Building Permit Glossary
Permitting has a vocabulary of its own, and most of it is never explained to the people who have to use it. These are plain-English definitions of the terms and documents you will meet applying for a building permit.
Every document entry also says where in the permitting process it applies, because the useful question is rarely just what something is. It is when you need it, and whether you are already late.
62 terms defined
17 document types
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The permitting lifecycle
Nearly every permit follows the same seven phases, whatever the jurisdiction calls them. Document entries in this glossary are placed against these phases, and a document often applies at more than one. Select a phase to see only the terms that apply there.
62 terms
Terms starting with A
- Asbestos notificationA survey or sworn statement addressing asbestos-containing materials, required before demolition or renovation of older buildings.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Submission
- Authority having jurisdictionThe office that actually enforces the code and issues permits for a given property. Which office that is depends entirely on the address.
Terms starting with B
- Base flood elevationThe height floodwater is expected to reach in a flood with a one percent annual chance. Construction in mapped zones is measured against it.
- Boundary surveyA licensed surveyor's drawing establishing where the property lines actually are, along with structures, easements, and encroachments.
- Applies at:
- Setup
- Preparation
- Plan review
- Building codeThe set of minimum construction standards a jurisdiction has adopted into law, usually a model code plus local amendments.
- Building officialThe person legally charged with administering and enforcing the building code in a jurisdiction, with authority to interpret it and to grant or deny permits.
- Building permitWritten permission from a local government to carry out construction work, granted after the department reviews your plans and confirms the work meets code.
Terms starting with C
- Certificate of completionThe document issued when permitted work is finished and has passed final inspection but does not create occupiable space, such as a reroof or a pool.
- Applies at:
- Closeout
- Certificate of occupancyThe document a jurisdiction issues when a building is complete and legally safe to occupy. Usually required before anyone can move in or a sale can close.
- Applies at:
- Closeout
- Complete and sufficient applicationThe point at which a department agrees your application has everything required, which in many states is when the statutory review clock actually starts.
- Applies at:
- Submission
Terms starting with D
Terms starting with E
- Elevation drawingA scaled straight-on view of each exterior face of the building, showing heights, materials, and openings.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- Energy calculationA calculation demonstrating the building meets the energy code, covering insulation, windows, air sealing, and equipment efficiency.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- Inspections
- Engineering letterA short sealed letter from a licensed engineer certifying a specific condition or detail, used where full calculations are unnecessary.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- Inspections
- Exposure categoryA classification of the terrain around a site that determines how much wind reaches the building, and therefore the design pressures.
Terms starting with F
- Flood zoneA FEMA-mapped designation describing a property's flood risk, which drives elevation requirements, construction methods, and insurance.
- Floor area ratioThe ratio of a building's total floor area to the lot area, used by zoning to cap overall building size independent of footprint.
- Floor planA scaled horizontal cut through the building showing room layout, dimensions, walls, doors, windows, and fixtures. The core drawing of almost every permit set.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- Inspections
Terms starting with G
Terms starting with I
- Impact feeA one-time charge on new development to fund the public infrastructure it will burden: roads, schools, parks, water, and sewer.
- Impervious surfaceAny surface water cannot pass through, including roofs and paving. Local limits exist to control stormwater runoff.
- InspectionA visit by a jurisdiction inspector to verify that work in the field matches the approved plans and the code, at defined points during construction.
- Applies at:
- Inspections
- InspectorThe jurisdiction official who visits the site during construction to verify the work matches the approved plans and complies with the code.
Terms starting with J
Terms starting with L
Terms starting with M
- Master permit and sub-permitsThe main building permit for a project, with separate trade permits for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work filed underneath it.
- Applies at:
- Submission
- Permit issued
- Closeout
- Means of egressThe code-required path out of a building in an emergency, including the door and window dimensions that make escape possible.
Terms starting with N
Terms starting with O
- Occupancy classificationThe code's categorization of a building by how it is used, which drives fire, egress, and structural requirements.
- Over-the-counter permitA permit issued during a single visit or session for simple, well-defined work, with no queued plan review.
- Applies at:
- Submission
- Permit issued
- Owner-builderA property owner who pulls a permit in their own name under an exemption from contractor licensing, taking on the responsibilities of a contractor.
- Owner-builder affidavitA sworn statement by a property owner pulling a permit in their own name instead of hiring a licensed contractor, acknowledging the responsibilities that come with it.
- Applies at:
- Submission
- Permit issued
Terms starting with P
- Permit applicationThe form and supporting package you file with a building department to request a permit. Most departments will not begin review until the application is complete.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Submission
- Permit application formThe jurisdiction's own form capturing the property, owner, contractor, scope, and valuation. Every department has its own, and they are not interchangeable.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Submission
- Permit expediterA specialist who manages permit applications on behalf of owners and contractors, using knowledge of specific departments to reduce cycles and delays.
- Permit expirationPermits lapse if work does not start within a set window or if too much time passes between inspections. An expired permit must be renewed or re-pulled.
- Applies at:
- Permit issued
- Inspections
- Permit feeThe charge for issuing a permit, usually calculated from the declared value of the work or from the square footage involved.
- Permit revisionA formal change to an already-issued permit, filed when the scope or the design shifts after approval.
- Applies at:
- Permit issued
- Inspections
- Plan reviewThe stage where a building department's reviewers read your submitted plans against the adopted code and either approve them or issue comments you must resolve.
- Applies at:
- Plan review
- Plan review feeA charge for the department's review of submitted plans, usually collected at application and separate from the permit fee.
- Plans examinerThe department staff member who reads submitted plans against the code and issues the comments that must be resolved before approval.
- Product approvalDocumentation proving a specific building product has been tested and approved for the conditions where it is installed, most often for wind resistance.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- Inspections
- Proof of ownershipDocumentation showing who legally owns the property, required so a department knows the applicant has the right to authorize work on it.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Submission
Terms starting with Q
Terms starting with R
- R-valueA measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The energy code sets minimum R-values by assembly and climate zone.
- Re-inspection feeA charge for sending an inspector back after a failed inspection, or after a trip where the work was not ready.
- ResubmittalFiling corrected plans and written responses after a round of review comments, which starts another review cycle.
- Applies at:
- Plan review
- Review commentsThe written list of problems a reviewer found in your plans. Each comment must be resolved and answered before the permit can be approved.
- Applies at:
- Plan review
Terms starting with S
- Scope of work letterA written narrative describing exactly what work is proposed, used by reviewers to decide what the project is and which reviews it needs.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Submission
- Plan review
- SetbackThe minimum required distance between a structure and a property line, set by zoning and different for front, side, and rear lines.
- Site planA scaled overhead drawing of the property showing the lot lines, existing and proposed structures, setbacks, and access. It is the drawing zoning reviewers read first.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- State surchargesSmall state-level charges added to local permit fees to fund state building programs, collected by the local department and passed through.
- Stop-work orderAn official order to halt construction, posted when work is done without a permit, outside the approved scope, or in an unsafe condition.
- Applies at:
- Inspections
- Structural calculationsSealed engineering calculations showing that the structural members can carry the loads the code requires them to carry.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- SubcontractorA licensed contractor performing one trade under the main permit, such as electrical, plumbing, or mechanical, usually pulling their own sub-permit.
- Subcontractor affidavitA signed form naming the licensed subcontractor responsible for a trade on a permit. Some jurisdictions want it at intake, others accept it after issuance.
- Applies at:
- Submission
- Permit issued
- Inspections
- Substantial improvementA floodplain rule triggered when improvement costs reach half a structure's market value, requiring the whole building to be brought into flood compliance.
Terms starting with T
Terms starting with V
Terms starting with W
- Wind load calculationEngineering calculations establishing the wind pressures a building must resist, which set the required capacity of its structure and openings.
- Applies at:
- Preparation
- Plan review
- Wind-borne debris regionAreas near the coast where openings must resist windborne debris impact, met with impact-rated products or approved shutters.
Terms starting with Z
What this glossary covers
- Process & timeline (15)
- How an application moves from submitted to permit issued.
- Documents & drawings (17)
- What goes into a permit package, and when each piece is needed.
- People & roles (9)
- Who signs, who submits, and who inspects.
- Code & zoning (15)
- The rules a design is measured against.
- Fees & costs (6)
- What a permit costs and what each line item pays for.
Looking for your building department?
These definitions are general. What a term means in practice is set by the jurisdiction that permits your property. Our free directory covers permitting offices across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with contact details and portal links.
Browse the permit directory