Phase 1
Permits and Jurisdiction Review
What happens between a promising project idea and an approved modular ADU (accessory dwelling unit), cottage, or small-home permit.
Overview
What happens in this stage
Permitting is usually the longest and riskiest part of a small-home project. Wolf employees handle design, site planning, utility coordination, and filing, so the permit path stays tied to the model you chose. Third-party surveys, septic design, or other specialist services may be needed for the site or jurisdiction. Our permitting service typically runs $2,500–$5,000, plus your jurisdiction’s own permit fees. Those vary widely. They usually start around $3,500, and system development charges are often the largest line. The service fee is Payment 1 in the process. It hires a trained Permit Specialist to review your site, identify the permits your city or county requires, gather the documentation, and work with each department, and it holds your spot in the production line. It does not include the permits themselves, which are paid to the jurisdiction as Payment 2 when your permits are ready to be issued. We give you the specific path and numbers for your address before you commit.
Why it matters
Filling out the forms, going back and forth with the city, and ordering inspections is a lot for one homeowner. A trained Permit Specialist handles that phase for you and times the review to your production date.
In order
How the permit process runs
Once your project moves into the permits queue, here is what happens between the first call with your Permit Specialist and issued permits.
- 1
Your Permit Specialist reaches out
One of our Permit Specialists introduces themself and starts your permit submittal packet. They verify the model, roof style, and deck design. Those three can’t change once permitting begins, because they are what the jurisdiction reviews.
- 2
Building the submittal packet
Site plan drawing, stormwater and erosion plans, the individual permit applications, and file prep. Creating the packet takes 1 to 3 weeks depending on the project and the jurisdiction’s requirements.
- 3
Submission and jurisdiction review
We submit the permits and the jurisdiction reviews them. A Permit Tech, and often a Planner, works with your Wolf Permit Specialist as questions come up. The jurisdiction sets how long this takes.
- 4
Pre-issuance and the Permit Closeout payment
After everything is reviewed and approved, the project moves to pre-issuance: payment to the jurisdiction is due before the permits can be issued. That is Payment 2, the Permit Closeout, which pays for the actual permits. Payment 1 does not apply toward it.
- 5
Permits issued, on to pre-production
Once the jurisdiction receives payment, your permits are issued. We then call you to schedule the pre-production meeting where you finalize the details of your Wolf home.
Quick facts
How long permits take
Review times depend entirely on the jurisdiction. These are the ranges we see most often in the Pacific Northwest.
- City of Vancouver, WA
- 4 to 6 weeks
- Clark County, WA
- 8 to 10 weeks
- City of Portland, OR
- Up to 5 months
- Submittal packet (before filing)
- 1 to 3 weeks to build, depending on the project
We time your submittal to your production slot. If your jurisdiction takes 10 weeks to issue permits but your build date is 8 months out, we start permitting in about 5 months. Permits can expire, and permits issued too early could lapse before the home is ready to be placed.
Included vs. extra
What the permit service covers
Every project starts with the base permit set. Depending on your site, how the structure is being permitted, and the history of the property, the jurisdiction may require more, and each additional item carries its own cost.
Included in the base permit-service fee
Applying for and managing:
- Building permit
- Electrical permit
- Plumbing permit
- Mechanical permit
- Health department permit
- Tree protection plan
- Site plan drawing
- Stormwater plan
- Erosion plan
- File prep and submission
Possible additional requirements
Quoted separately when the site or jurisdiction calls for them:
- Demolition permit
- Zoning and land-use review
- Geotechnical report
- Well test
- Environmental constraint reviews
- SDC — water
- SDC — sewer
- Unpermitted existing structures
- Infiltration test
- Engineered stormwater
Checklist
What Wolf is coordinating
Stage steps
- 1 Confirm jurisdiction, zoning, setbacks, utility options, and the likely approval path.
- 2 Prepare site-plan information and coordinate the drawings needed for review.
- 3 Submit to the local jurisdiction and respond to plan-review comments.
- 4 Keep the project aligned with state modular requirements and local placement requirements.
Deliverables
- Permit-path assessment
- Site-plan and utility coordination
- Jurisdiction filing support
- Permit status updates through the project process
Official sources
State modular-home programs
The home is reviewed under the state program where it will be installed, while the city or county reviews the property, foundation, utilities, and placement. These are the official starting points for each of Wolf’s primary service areas.
Watch outs
The details that usually surprise people
Rules can differ between city limits and county jurisdiction.
A modular home still needs local placement, foundation, and utility approvals.
Short-term rental plans can trigger different local rules than long-term ADU use.
The model, roof style, and deck design are locked once permitting begins, because they are what gets drawn and reviewed.
A new water or sewer connection on raw property usually means system development charges (SDCs) on top of the base permits, and they are often the largest fee.
Permits can expire. Wolf times your submittal to your production slot so an early permit does not lapse before the home is ready to set.
Common questions
This stage, answered
How long does permitting take?
What is an SDC and how much is it?
Do I need a well test?
Why doesn’t Wolf start permitting the day I sign?
Can I change the model, roof, or decks after permitting starts?
What is the difference between Payment 1 and Payment 2?
What if the permit is not possible?
Want the process mapped to your address?
Send the property address and what you want the home to do. We’ll work out the model, the permit path, what the site needs, and your next step.
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