The City of Houston is making significant strides in improving its permitting process. As part of this effort, city permitting leaders recently added an additional 20 projects to the 30-day review program. This step is part of a broader initiative to manage the high volume more effectively by creating workflows that can scale to meet demand.
Of the 20 additional projects, 55% were approved in two review cycles. This aligns with Mayor Whitmire’s vision of building smarter, faster, and more efficiently.
“We’re heading in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done,” remarked Mayor Whitmire. “As I’ve mentioned before, for years, this system has been unnecessarily complicated. It affects quality of life and affordability. Homebuilders told me they wouldn’t work in Houston because of our permitting process. This pilot program is changing that.”
Launched on July 7, 2025, by Mayor Whitmire and led by Houston Public Works with the Planning Department, the 30-day pilot program is aimed at achieving a more efficient permitting process for single-family residential construction projects. In its first week, 68% of the 29 participating projects achieved approval in two review cycles, meeting the Houston Permitting Center’s ambitious “Approved in 2” target.
To learn more about the 30-Day Residential Permitting Pilot Program, click here.