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  • Billy Haynes

How are Entitlement Services Different than Permit Expeditor Solutions

Updated: Aug 3, 2023


Permit Expeditor Solutions

When it comes down to some of the finer points, Permit Advisors' clients often struggle with understanding the difference between permit expeditor solutions and entitlement services. Throughout this article, you will learn the main differences between entitlement services and permit expeditor solutions. In essence, entitlements and permitting differ principally in three ways: how they interface with elected officials, how they work with timelines, and the cost involved. But before using the expeditor or entitlement service, you must understand what they do.


At Permit Studio, we specialize in providing top-notch assistance in the area of building permits and permit expediting. Whether you're a contractor, architect, or property owner, our team of experienced permit expediters can guide you through the process, making it smoother and more efficient. For those located in the Windy City, we have a deep understanding of local regulations and offer tailored building permits Chicago services.


With our insider knowledge and industry connections, we make Chicago building permits application and approval processes seamless and hassle-free. Our permit expediting services are designed to support projects of all sizes and scopes. Whether you're embarking on a large-scale commercial project or a small residential renovation, our permit expediter Chicago team will work tirelessly to ensure your plans are approved promptly.


What is An Entitlement Service?

Entitlement means that this attribute specifies the root nodes so that Security Access Manager can search the protected object namespace for entitlement services. The value of this attribute can be a single, multivalued string. A web search can often show a lot of various items with the name entitlement services. However, land and building entitlement are the ones that should be looked at.

Usually, permit expediters are the go-between you and the city for your building permits. They are often seen as consultants because they have extensive knowledge of building codes and local zoning codes. Even the owner's architect may use the expediter instead of the architect himself, saving the owner money and lowering the architect's overhead cost. Instead of hiring and maintaining an expensive Code Consultant or a Land Use Planner on your project, you can hire an architect who will employ a permit expediter as an additional employee and pass these costs on to their client instead of keeping them in their overhead. It is not uncommon for building permit expediters to work on hundreds of projects within hundreds of different cities, counties, and departments. Having an inside perspective on construction will give an expeditor a helpful tool to guide the owner's decision regarding the project's scope and cost. The most effective way to ensure that any permits arrive on time and without any delays is to have someone on your side who is familiar with local officials and the process.

What is a Permit Expeditor?

Building permit expediters are multi-disciplined professionals who specialize in the submittal, permitting, and local building codes. Permit expediting services can advise owners, architects, contractors, developers, and engineers on how to increase the approval process for their projects. Their knowledge of local ordinances, overlay zones, and codes can make a huge difference. In addition to the expediters, plan examiners will meet with City Officials at City Hall to discuss blueprint revisions. Also, permit expeditors can have extensive planning experience and represent their clients at any hearing related to planning, architectural reviews, or variances.

The costs of building permit expediters range from an hourly rate to a per-project rate. In addition to real estate development experience, a good building permit expediter should know zoning and building codes. Architects will often hire a permit expediter instead of dealing with complex permit issues like figuring out the zoning code needed for a project that needs square footage added to an area or getting all required documents to ensure that the project permits are processed the first time correctly. Usually, expediting services can bill by the hour or the project and retain a computerized memory of current city codes so that they can negotiate for you from a place of knowledge.

For expediters to do their job well, they should be brought in early and assigned to anticipate and address any design issues that may arise.

Before you hire a building permit expediter, find out what they know about a particular city or county's process. They usually perform a little research on the property and provide you with a short report about what is required to permit your project, how long, what applications, and the costs involved.

How are Entitlement Services Different than Permit Expeditor Solutions?

What separates an entitlement service from a permit expeditor are the following characteristics:

If you want to avoid the hassle of obtaining permits for your project, then you need to know the differences between a permit expediter and entitlement services. Permit expediters are professionals that know the ins and outs of permit applications and often will handle both permits and entitlements.

Many people cannot handle all the processes that go with getting a building permit, and that is where a permit expediter comes into play. Even though you may get a permit with an entitlement, a permit is different for construction.

Another difference between entitlement services and permit expediting is how long it takes. Entitlement is on a specific timeline before a permit application because entitlement has to be approved before a permit application can be submitted. Permits tend to take hours to months to be approved, which means that entitlements can take longer. When it comes to being approved for an entitlement, a permit expediter will present the information about the project in a meeting, and then more than a month will pass before they can be heard.

The permit process often happens after the hearing, but the entitlement process is usually much longer than getting the permit. When it comes to getting an entitlement, you may need to think about how flexible you are regarding an overall timeline for the project.

When it comes to permitting expediting and entitlements, the costs are often the most important question asked. The projects can be expensive or not as costly as thought. However, permit expediters can help bring this cost down, and they are often much cheaper than entitlements.

Permit expediters often work hard to process your permit application, and often, they can work with entitlements. If you are unsure of what you need to do for your project, then contact a permit expediter for more information or any questions you may have concerning an upcoming project.

We hope this article helps you in understanding everything you need to know about the difference between Entitlement Services and Permit Expeditor Solutions.


In conclusion, managing building permits and permit expediting doesn't have to be a daunting task. With Permit Studio on your side, you gain a trusted partner who can guide you through the intricate process. Our seasoned experts are equipped to make the process of obtaining permits in Chicago as smooth and effortless as possible.


To discover how we can help accelerate your projects, we invite you to visit our homepage for an overview of our services. If you're ready to streamline your permit process or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us directly. At Permit Studio, we're here to help transform your construction dreams into reality.


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