It is one of the most common questions we hear from homeowners eager to break ground:

“Can we skip the design phase [for now] and just have you draw up the permit set so we can get in line with the city?”

The instinct makes complete sense. Permitting takes time, municipal queues can be slow, and the assumption is that permit drawings are simply administrative paperwork—a basic floor plan to satisfy a bureaucratic box while you figure out where the kitchen island goes later.

In the eyes of building departments, however, a permit set is not a sketch of an idea. It is a legally binding, technically coordinated instrument proving compliance with state, structural, and life safety codes.

You cannot draft a permit set without a finished design because a building department will not permit an unanswered question.