Construction permit expediting in the DMV
In this region, the permit is the schedule. A buildout that takes twelve weeks to construct can spend longer than that waiting on plan review — unless someone who knows the system is pushing it through. NEXUS BUILD expedites construction permits across DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, for our own projects and for owners, architects, and contractors who just need the paperwork moved.
Because we're a licensed general contractor, not a filing service, we read the drawings the way the plan reviewer will. We catch the missing details that trigger rejection cycles — egress notes, mechanical schedules, health-department requirements — before submission, which is where most permit time is actually lost.
Permit services we provide
- DC Department of Buildings (DOB) filings — building, trade, and supplemental permits
- Maryland county permitting — Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, and Anne Arundel
- Northern Virginia permitting — Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, and Loudoun
- Health-department plan review for restaurants and foodservice facilities
- Pre-submission drawing review to catch rejection triggers early
- Rejection and correction-cycle management with reviewers
- Inspection scheduling and certificate-of-occupancy closeout
Every jurisdiction runs differently
DC's DOB, Montgomery County's separate food-service plan review, Fairfax's trade-permit sequencing — each jurisdiction has its own portal, its own review order, and its own unwritten rules. We file in all of them constantly, so your application enters the queue complete, formatted the way that reviewer expects, and with someone tracking it who knows when a follow-up call actually helps.
Expediting as part of a project — or on its own
Most clients bundle permitting into a NEXUS BUILD construction contract, where we run the review window in parallel with procurement so the schedule doesn't stall. But we also take standalone expediting work: owners stuck in a correction cycle, architects who need a local filer, and out-of-market contractors who need someone who knows the counter.
Frequently asked questions
How long do permits take in DC, Maryland, and Virginia?
A straightforward commercial interior permit typically runs 4–12 weeks depending on jurisdiction and scope; foodservice projects add health-department plan review. Expediting doesn't skip the line — it prevents the rejection cycles and dead time between reviews that turn 6 weeks into 6 months.
Can you take over a permit application that's stuck?
Yes. We'll pull the review comments, diagnose what's actually blocking approval, coordinate the drawing corrections with your architect, and manage the resubmission until it's approved.
Do you expedite permits for projects you're not building?
Yes — standalone permit expediting is a service we offer to owners, architects, and other contractors. If you'd rather have one team accountable for both the permit and the construction, we do that too.
Permit slowing your project down?
Tell us the jurisdiction and scope — or send the rejection comments — and we'll respond within 24 hours with a path to approval.