All solutions
Streamline permitting
Third-party permit approval
Let licensed private reviewers clear permit backlogs when city staff can't keep up.
Written by YIMBY LawWhat it does
Independent, unbiased assessments of construction quality, safety, and code compliance — conducted by certified professionals unaffiliated with the builder, developer, or owner — in place of backlogged local review.
Why localities should pursue third-party permit approval
The problem
Permitting backlogs stall construction in exactly the places that need homes most. Local review capacity can't keep up, timelines stretch, and carrying costs pile onto every stalled project — costs that land on renters and buyers.
The fix
Let qualified, certified private professionals review building permits in place of local officials — expediting approvals, relieving pressure on constrained departments, and bringing an objective professional-standards perspective so projects are judged on the code, not on precedent.
“”Third-party reviewers are credentialed professionals conducting equally detailed, objective code-compliance reviews.
YIMBY Law
Crafting the policy
What separates versions that produce homes from versions that produce headlines.
Must include
- Clear professional standards for reviewers
- A shot clock for review completion
Watch out for
- Affordability thresholds
- Overly stringent licensing requirements
Why each one matters
After it passes
What to watch so the law turns into homes.
- 1
Set a clearly defined, near-future effective date
- 2
Outline exactly when third-party review is permitted
E.g., whenever local inspectors can't meet the deadline
- 3
Include clauses holding the local jurisdiction harmless from third-party errors
- 4
Identify the enforcement mechanism with an appeals process or legal recourse
Make the case
What to say at public comment, in a letter to council, or to a neighbor.
Talking points
Say them at public comment, put them in a letter to your council, or send them to a neighbor. Copy any one.
Likely allies
The groups that tend to show up for it.
5 likely allies
- Apartment associations
- Architect associations
- Home builder & land developer associations
- Independent inspectors
- REALTOR associations
Wins & momentum
Where it has already passed.
2wins since 2019
- 2
- 1
Related primers
Bringing this to your city council?
You don't have to make the case alone. Our chapters have passed policies like this before — join one, or start one, and bring the movement with you.