Most owners assume a filing timeline is dictated by the Department of Buildings. In practice, the calendar is set weeks earlier — by how complete the drawing set is on the day it goes in.
Objections cost more than preparation
An objection is not a rejection, but it does reset your place in the queue. Every round trip adds days that no amount of follow-up recovers. The fastest filings we run are the ones where the set answered the examiner's questions before they were asked.
What we verify before submitting
- Zoning analysis matches the proposed use, floor by floor
- Egress widths and travel distances are dimensioned, not implied
- Structural and MEP scopes reference the same demolition plan
- Existing conditions reflect what is actually on site today
That last point causes more objections than any other. A survey from a prior renovation is not a record of current conditions.
Coordination is the real accelerator
When architectural, structural and MEP work is produced by one team, the drawings agree with each other by default. When it is split across three firms, someone has to reconcile them — usually after the objection arrives.
If you are planning a project and want the filing path mapped before design is locked, that conversation is worth having early.