Three Tips for Plan Review in 2025

Forward-facing community development departments across the country are transforming how they handle construction applications. From multi-use high rises to home renovations, the pressure to deliver faster, more accurate plan reviews and permits has never been higher—especially as development activity continues at pace in municipalities nationwide. 

At the same time, budget cuts and reduction in forces have created an uncertain environment where the need for efficiency is greater than ever. As cities and counties continue to embrace technology, we’ve summarized the top three considerations for electronic plan review in 2025 and beyond.  

Centralize Your Digital Access 

Leading government organizations use a single, comprehensive electronic plan review solution to support everything from initial submission to final approval. This centralized hub gives applicants one convenient place to track the status of their application, view detailed comments, and submit corrections. 

A unified system doesn't just help applicants—it transforms internal operations by eliminating silos, minimizing errors, and streamlining submissions. A single source of truth means plan reviewers work from the same version of documents; building inspectors can access critical, real-time updates from the field; and permit technicians successfully limit cumbersome swivel-chair processes that bog down review timelines.  

Deploy Automated Completeness Checks 

Modern electronic plan review systems with completeness checks help catch common mistakes before applications enter your review cycle. These automated tools screen for incorrect file formats, missing documents, and incomplete applications, which means that staff can avoid spending hours on administrative pre-screening. 

Pre-checks not only help improve review cycle efficiency but meaningfully enhance the applicant experience. Rather than entering into a frustrating cycle of rejections and resubmissions, applicants get feedback that helps them submit a complete application the first time.  

Prioritize Applicant User Experience (UX) 

A clunky, cumbersome interface costs more than you might think, as a significant portion of a department's administrative workload involves answering basic questions and helping frustrated applicants navigate the system. Taken together, these hours add up to a costly and unnecessary line item.  

Forward-facing organizations understand that good UX design pays off quickly, and investment in intuitive, user-friendly interfaces ensures critical information is easy to find. When applicants can easily access requirements, find status updates, and understand next steps, they make fewer support calls. Staff then spend less time on basic administration and more time on valuable plan review work, even during peak periods when efficiency matters the most.  

Learn more about how Avolve can transform your plan review process: https://avolvesoftware.com/about-avolve/contact/