How long does it take to prepare MEP Plans?

Our standard turnaround is 5 business days from receipt of your complete architectural plans and project details, and it is included at no extra cost. Faster options are available: Priority (3 business days) for +$299 and Expedited (1-2 business days) for +$599. These cover the great majority of standard California ADU projects.

Turnaround options at a glance

What affects how quickly we can deliver

The clock starts when we have everything we need. The biggest factor in a fast, revision-free first draft is the quality and completeness of what you provide. Turnaround can be influenced by:

• Project size and square footage
• Whether utility upgrades, solar, or battery storage are involved
• Structural coordination needs
• Existing site conditions (especially on garage conversions)
• Local permit-specific requirements
• The format of your drawings — editable CAD or Revit files reduce drafting time; PDF-only plans may require additional drafting

Revisions and corrections are built into the timeline

Plan preparation is not the whole story. Every order includes two revisions and city corrections at no extra charge, so if a plan checker returns comments, we revise and resubmit as part of the service rather than as a new project. That matters because the real-world timeline to a permit includes the city's own plan review — typically several weeks — and any correction rounds, which are separate from our drafting turnaround.

A tip for the fastest possible result: provide complete, coordinated architectural plans plus your project details up front. The more we have at the start, the cleaner the first draft and the fewer revision cycles you'll need.

How drafting time fits the overall permit timeline

It helps to separate two different clocks. The first is our drafting turnaround — 5 business days standard, or as little as 1-2 with Expedited. The second is the city's plan review, which is outside our control and typically takes several weeks; California's 60-day rule requires the agency to act on a complete application within 60 calendar days, and pre-approved plan programs can shorten that to 30 days. Our job is to make sure the plans you submit are complete and coordinated so they pass the completeness check and enter plan check without delay.

A realistic example

Picture a standard 700 SF detached ADU with editable CAD architectural files and clear project details. We deliver the permit-ready MEP set in 5 business days. The owner submits it with a registered Title 24 CF1R; the city's completeness review clears it, and plan check returns one minor correction round a few weeks later. Because corrections are included, we revise and resubmit at no extra charge, and the permit issues. The drafting was a week; the path to permit was governed mostly by the city's review queue — which is exactly why completeness matters so much.

To see exactly what to submit, review our How It Works page, then start your order and pick the turnaround that fits your deadline.