City of Edmonton introduces online tool to drastically reduce housing permit approval times

Travis Pawlyk, a branch manager with the City of Edmonton, demonstrates the beta-version of Auto-Review, an online housing permit approval tool. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

The City of Edmonton released a web application on Monday for approving permits for housing projects, reducing approval times from two weeks to a single day.

The program, Auto-Review, will approve housing permits for single and semi-detached homes, duplexes, row houses and backyard projects so long as the parameters are met.

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Travis Pawlyk, a branch manager of development services for the City of Edmonton, told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday that the program, which was developed in-house, will make housing projects easier to start while freeing up city resources for more complex projects.

"It allows applicants to come to our website at any time of day, any time of night, input their project details and their drawings and submit it and they will automatically get a permit if they adhere to all of the zoning regulations," Pawlyk said.

"Basically, within one day, you can have your permit and start constructing the next day," he added.

Edmonton is the first city in Canada to implement a program of this nature.

According to Pawlyk, Auto-Review has been in beta-testing since January to ensure the system functions the way it's intended to, and it received "glowing reviews" from development planners.

"They can move their projects faster," said Pawlyk. "It tells them if there's errors right away instead of waiting for four or five days for the development planner to do it … then there's a back and forth so that further increases the time, so they get that instant feedback through the process as well."

Auto-Review users will need to create an account on the Edmonton Self Service website.

For more information on Auto-Review or applying for house permits, visit the city's application requirement website.