Municipal permitting is often blamed for commercial construction delays, but Mike Marden, a registered architect and licensed general contractor at WDS Architecture in Phoenix, contends that the most damaging delays occur before a single document is filed. Marden identifies two primary culprits: clients' reliance on informal city conversations and the conventional sequential project model.
The first issue arises when clients treat a conversation with a city counter employee as authoritative guidance. Marden says clients often call the city, describe their project vaguely, and receive generic answers about timelines and paperwork. These conversations are not documented, lack official status, and the checklists provided may not apply to the specific project. "They often say, 'we already spoke with someone at the city. They said we just turn in this form and this is roughly the time,'" Marden explains. "First of all, that’s not a documented conversation. There is no log number or record. None of that’s official. And everything on the checklist might not even apply." This misinformation can lead to unexpected requirements surfacing during review, causing costly delays.
The second issue is structural: the sequential model of design, permit, then build treats permitting as a gate, leaving no work progressing during review. "While permit review is underway, nothing else is happening," Marden notes. "The client’s lease clock is running. The contractor is standing by. The trade partners are unavailable for other projects but not yet active on this one." Additionally, the gap between design completion and contractor selection often extends timelines. Marden highlights that clients who finish drawings before searching for a contractor add weeks or months before permits are even submitted.
Successful firms, Marden observes, compress the process by engaging the city early, understanding jurisdiction-specific requirements, and starting non-permitted construction activities during review. At WDS Commercial, where Marden serves as both architect and contractor, the firm can begin work immediately. "We can start building the project as we’re turning in for a permit," he says. "We’re the contractor, already contracted with the Owner, and have spent months participating in the design. If we are questioned or told to turn in drawings, well, we have already done that because we are also the Architect! We can go right up to first inspection with our work, gaining a month versus waiting on bid results, contracts, permits, and mobilization, losing a month or two."
This integrated approach is only feasible when the architect and contractor are a single entity or closely aligned. WDS leverages its dual credentials to mobilize early and uses ongoing relationships with local jurisdictions to anticipate requirements. Marden also advises clients on permitting strategy during site selection, warning that a cheap location may hide costly code compliance issues. "It’s like building a project twice, when dealing with existing conditions, removing what is there so that new material can be installed to meet code," he says. A former restaurant space, for instance, may require extensive updates, erasing apparent savings.
For Phoenix business owners, the takeaway is clear: the permitting timeline they expect may be optimistic, and the real delays often originate in pre-filing decisions. Marden's insights suggest that understanding the process and integrating design and construction can mitigate these risks.
