How long does it take to get MEP plans?

For most ADU projects, MEP plans take 5 business days on our standard timeline, with faster options available when you have a deadline. The clock starts once we have your complete architectural plans and project details in hand — that is the single biggest factor in turnaround.

Turnaround options

• Standard (5 business days) — Appropriate for the large majority of projects with normal scheduling.
• Priority (3 business days) — A good choice when permit submission is imminent and you want margin.
• Expedited (1–2 business days) — Available for most standard ADU projects when a hard deadline exists.

What keeps a project on schedule

Drafting time is predictable; delays almost always come from incomplete inputs. To hit the fastest possible turnaround:

1. Provide a complete architectural set — floor plan, site plan, and elevations — not preliminary sketches.
2. Confirm the project address so we can lock the climate zone and local code amendments.
3. Note any special items up front — EV charger, panel upgrade, solar conduit, specific appliances.
4. Answer the optional technical questions, or tell us to use code defaults so nothing waits on a decision.

Turnaround is not the same as plan check

This is the distinction that trips up most first-time applicants. The turnaround above is the time to produce your plans. After you submit, the building department's plan-check queue is an entirely separate timeline that we don't control — it can range from a few days to several weeks depending on the jurisdiction, the season, and the department's backlog. Many California cities now offer expedited or over-the-counter review for qualifying ADUs, so it's worth asking yours.

What happens after the city reviews

If the reviewer returns comments, the good news is that every order includes two revisions and city corrections at no extra charge. We turn those comments around without additional fees and resubmit until the permit is issued, so a correction notice doesn't reset your budget — only adds a short revision cycle.

Plan ahead: your total time-to-permit is our drafting turnaround plus the city's review plus any correction cycles. Choosing a faster tier shortens only the first of those three.

A realistic timeline for a typical ADU

Here is how the pieces commonly stack up, though every jurisdiction differs:

1. Days 0–5 — we draft your permit-ready MEP set on the standard tier (or 1–3 days on a faster tier).
2. Submittal — you upload the set to the city's portal alongside your architectural and structural sheets.
3. City review — the plan-check queue runs anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the department.
4. Corrections (if any) — we revise and resubmit, included at no extra charge, usually a short cycle.
5. Permit issued — once all comments are cleared.

When choosing a faster tier is worth it

Upgrade to Priority or Express when you have a hard deadline — a contractor's start date, a financing milestone, or a coordinated submittal with the rest of your team. If your timeline is comfortable, the standard 5-day tier is included and produces the same permit-ready set; speed changes only how quickly we draft, not the quality of the deliverable.

You can select your timeline on the order page, and the How It Works page walks through each step. Confirm your city's review timeline with your local building department.