Edmonton introduces automated development permits

Key Takeaways:

• Edmonton is the first municipality in Canada to implement Auto Review for House Development Permits, allowing applicants to apply for a permit and begin construction on the same day.
• The automated process reduces the time for permit approval from an average of two weeks to one day, saving applicants an estimated $5.3 million and 67,600 days annually, while lowering carrying costs for builders and helping keep housing prices down.
• Auto Review is part of Edmonton’s broader Housing Accelerator Fund plan, aimed at increasing housing availability to meet the city’s growing population, with funding support from the federal government and a focus on building a sustainable, climate-resilient city.

The Whole Story:

The City of Edmonton is the first municipality in Canada to introduce Auto Review for House Development Permits, a digital tool that allows applicants to apply for a development permit and start building on the same day. This new process improvement leverages automation to help builders get shovels in the ground faster — the latest initiative to speed-up development to meet the growing demand for housing in our rapidly expanding city. 

“Innovation is part of our ongoing commitment to service improvement and how Edmonton has become a national leader in streamlining and speeding up development,” said Travis Pawlyk, Branch Manager, Development Services. “By saving applicants valuable time, more housing can be built, faster. Accelerating development also reduces carrying costs for home builders, helping to keep housing prices down.” 

Those looking to build a single detached or semi-detached home in a greenfield area of the city (zoned as “Small Scale Flex Residential”) can now go to the Self Service website and fill in the details of the development. If the application meets requirements and isn’t selected for a random audit, the development permit is issued immediately. A home builder can also apply for a partial building permit for footing and foundation – another automated process – and, upon same-day approval, begin construction. The process, which used to take an average of two weeks to complete, now happens in one day.

“Automation is a key part of the City’s efforts to streamline processes and reduce red tape. The process improvements we’ve made in Development Services now save applicants an estimated $5.3 million and 67,600 days annually,” said Pawlyk.

Auto Review for House Development Permits is the latest instance of the City automating a process to help Edmontonians achieve their building and development goals faster and easier. In 2022, Edmonton automated simple deck permits, which today saves an average of more than 750 annual applicants three-to-six weeks and facilitates reduced carrying costs. 

Auto Review is part of the City’s Housing Accelerator Fund action plan, which will help create more housing to accommodate Edmonton’s growing population. With funding support from the federal government, the City is making lasting changes to build a healthy, urban, climate-resilient city where all Edmontonians have a variety of housing choices and can easily access amenities and services to meet their daily needs close to home.