Managing plan review with limited staff starts with understanding why applications are waiting. Some are missing documents; others are complete but need an available reviewer. Clearer submission requirements can help with incomplete applications, while qualified outside reviewers can cover gaps in review capacity.
Where are plans getting held up?
Follow a few delayed applications from submission through review. Note where each stopped, then ask staff what it needed to move forward.
Look for three patterns
- Incomplete submissions need additional information before review can proceed.
- Unclear handoffs leave staff checking who owns the application or what happens next.
- Limited review capacity leaves complete plans waiting for an available reviewer or specialist.
An application may encounter more than one delay. Identify each separately, including whether the wait occurs during plan review or after approval. More plan reviewers will not resolve an inspection-scheduling delay.field the
Make complete submissions easier to prepare
A checklist gives applicants a clear reference before they submit and staff a consistent way to identify missing information.
Don Wilkins, a SAFEbuilt National Plan Review Regional Manager, recommends starting with a written list of required documents. Match it to your jurisdiction and application type, and place it where applicants begin the process.
The checklist should also explain how to provide missing items. If applicants keep asking the same question, revise that part of the instructions. Applicants should not have to learn a requirement only after their submission comes back incomplete.
Bring in outside reviewers for the work your team cannot cover
When complete plans are waiting, your department may need more review hours or expertise in a particular discipline.
Retirement planning adds another consideration. In NEEP’s 2024–2025 regional survey, nearly 39% of code enforcement officials in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic said they planned to retire by 2029.
Outside support can cover a vacancy or a defined assignment while the department evaluates its longer-term needs. SAFEbuilt provides onsite and service-center reviewers for temporary staffing needs, workload increases, and specialized projects.
Before work begins, agree on:
- Which applications or disciplines the partner will review.
- How plans, comments, and revisions will move through the existing system.
- Who will answer applicant questions.
- What turnaround targets and reporting expectations will apply.
Use technology to support a clear workflow
If staff are searching for the current plan set or checking who should receive a revision, first establish how that work should move. Then assess whether the existing system supports it.
A new platform is not automatically necessary. In SAFEbuilt’s electronic plan review Q&A, Wilkins explains how projects can be assigned, reviewed, and returned through an existing municipal system.
Start by clarifying who handles each stage. Then decide whether the existing system needs better procedures, staff training, or different tools. If complete plans still wait for an available reviewer, address that staffing gap alongside the workflow changes.
Look for progress in the queue and the daily work
Track measures that relate to the change your department has made:
- Time from a complete submission to first review.
- Number and age of applications awaiting review.
- Share of submissions returned for missing information.
Discuss the results with the staff handling the applications. A checklist may need clearer instructions if the same documents are still missing. Additional reviewers may be helping with initial reviews while revisions continue to wait.
Use those observations to adjust the work rather than judging the change by the backlog total alone.
Find the right review support for your department
Your department may need help with a temporary backlog, coverage during a vacancy, or expertise for particular projects. Defining that need gives you a practical starting point for evaluating outside support.
Explore SAFEbuilt's Plan Review Services to discuss how additional reviewers could work alongside your team.
