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Calcimator

Entitlement Timeline Calculator

Estimate months from raw land to building permit through the entitlement process.

Inputs

months
months
months
months
months
months
%

Summary

Effective Timeline

17.5 months

Timeline (Years)

1.46 years

Sequential Total20 months
Months Saved (Concurrent)2.5
Longest Phase6 months
Pre-App % of Total10%
Environmental % of Total30%
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter months for each phase: Pre-Application, Environmental Review, Zoning Approval, Plat Approval.
  2. Set Utility Approvals and Building Permit months for the final stages.
  3. Set Concurrent Processing % — the degree to which phases can overlap to compress the timeline.
  4. Review Effective Timeline in months and years to plan financing, land carry, and marketing start.
  5. Compare Sequential Total vs. Effective Timeline to quantify the benefit of pursuing concurrent approvals.
  6. Use this estimate in pro forma financial models for land carry cost calculation.

How the result changes with Environmental Review

Environmental ReviewEffective TimelineTimeline (Years)
3.615.1 months1.26 years
1324.5 months2.04 years
2334.5 months2.88 years
3243.5 months3.63 years

What each input means

Pre-Application
Time for pre-application meetings, feasibility, and initial surveys.
Environmental Review
Time for environmental assessments, NEPA, wetland delineation.
Zoning Approval
Time for zoning application, hearings, and approval.
Plat Approval
Time for preliminary and final plat review and approval.
Utility Approvals
Time for utility plans review and will-serve letters.
Building Permit
Time for building permit review and issuance.
Concurrent Processing
Percentage of utility and permit phases that can overlap with earlier phases.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Pre-Application = 2, Environmental Review = 6, Zoning Approval = 4, Plat Approval = 3 = 7 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Effective Timeline
    Effective Timeline
    17.5 = 17.5
  3. Calculate Timeline
    Timeline
    1.46 = 1.46
  4. Calculate Sequential Total
    Sequential Total
    20 = 20
  5. Calculate Months Saved
    Months Saved
    2.5 = 2.5

Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators.

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