Building Criteria Manual - 2024 1st Cycle Rule Change
Building Criteria Manual - 2024 1st Cycle Rule Change
The Development Services Department (DSD) is proposing adoption of an amendment to the City of Austin’s Building Criteria Manual (BCM) in the 1st quarter of 2024 to clarify expiration dates for building plan review applications.
Under the proposed rule, a building plan review application would still expire one year after it is filed if a permit has not been issued. However, the deadline to update the application would be extended up to 180 days if building plans are approved before the application expires. This change would allow the general contractor a minimum of 180 days to activate a permit. After that, all pending permits would expire on the 181st day unless a building permit is activated. Upon adoption, the amendment would become Section 1.2.11 of the BCM.
More detailed information is available in the "Documents" section at the bottom of the page. Stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on this proposed amendment through March 11, 2024.
Please use the comment box below to send us your comments. Please contact DSDCommunications@austintexas.gov if you have any difficulty using PublicInput. We welcome all feedback about these proposed changes, how they may impact you, and how we can best design them to suit your needs. Your input will help DSD develop the final rule proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
This project page will be open for comments from May 30, 2023 to June 16, 2023. During this time, you may provide your thoughts in the box on this page and click "comment." After June 16, 2023 you will still be able to view the page and access the information/documents. We appreciate your thoughts and participation.
These proposals will:
- Not impact the vast majority of permits.
- Most building permit customers activate permits and begin work quickly after building plan review approval.
- Only impact customers who do not begin work on permit activation following building plan approval.
- An application the countdown to an application expiration date would begin.
- The proposed expiration date for applications is 181 days after building plan review approval if the building permit has not been activated.
- Increase efficiency of services provided by DSD in the Service Center.