The City of Houston’s commitment to streamline the permitting process is showing promising results. In the first week of the City’s 30-Day Residential Permitting Pilot Program, 68% of the 29 participating projects have been approved within two review cycles — aligning with the Houston Permitting Center ambitious “Approved in 2” target.
The program was launched on Monday, July 7, 2025, as a 30-day residential pilot program to improve the efficiency and operations of the process. “This is a major step forward in improving how we serve our residents and developers,” said Mayor John Whitmire. “I’m proud of the collaboration between our city departments and the private sector. We’re proving that government can be efficient, responsive, and innovative.”
The pilot, launched to accelerate review times for single-family residential construction projects, includes multiple departments working to improve service delivery and reduce delays.
Eric Kutch, Deputy Assistant Director of Plan Review, expressed pride in the progress. “I’m proud of our team.” “We are now focused on validating workflows and determining our next steps,”
Encouraged by early results, the City is exploring how to scale the pilot to support a high volume of single-family residential projects. Leadership will continue to assess future staffing needs to ensure continued success.
The pilot reflects Houston’s broader vision for building smarter, faster, and more efficiently — a key priority for the Whitmire administration.
To learn more about the 30-Day Residential Permitting Pilot Program, click here.