Using Technology To Streamline Building Permitting

Using Technology To Streamline Building Permitting

At the National Institute of Building Sciences 2026 Building Innovation conference, panelists discussed innovative technologies and strategies to streamline housing production workflows.

Building code officials are exploring technology-enabled permitting to help communities speed up housing production without sacrificing safety standards. On May 19 and 20, 2026, the National Institute of Building Sciences held its Building Innovation 2026 conference, which gathered government officials, engineers, architects, researchers, and academics to discuss how emerging technology can improve housing production processes. One panel, How Building Code Officials Are Using Technology to Accelerate Permitting, highlighted new technologies that streamline permitting reviews while maintaining compliance with building codes. Joan O’Neil, chief knowledge officer of the International Code Council, moderated the panel, which included David Jackson, founder of the Code Advisory Group; Nicole Rogers, chief building official in the D.C. Department of Buildings (DOB); Stephen Devito, director of technology at Procon Consulting; and Colin Whitlatch, chief technology officer at Kahua. Panelists shared how digitized permitting, visualization tools, and streamlined workflow management systems can make inspections and approvals more efficient by limiting backlogs and facilitating coordination between code inspectors, construction teams, and designers. Speakers also emphasized that technology must be adaptable to local contexts, such as Tribal communities that have unique governance structures and cultural norms operating outside mainstream technological processes.

Emerging Technology

Panelists discussed how builders and inspectors can use technology to streamline plan review, inspections, and code enforcement using construction project collaboration platforms, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled visualization tools, and 3D modeling. Whitlatch highlighted Kahua’s construction management platform, The Kahua Network, which uses AI to streamline collaboration between owners and contractors and accelerate project completion. Kahua, which means “foundation” or “platform” in Hawaiian, enables owners and contractors to tailor project management processes to their specific needs rather than conforming to standardized construction software. The Kahua Network allows entire project teams to enter data once, eliminating data entry duplication. Teams can easily copy documents (drawings, specifications, models, and photos) and access shared data to facilitate collaboration and streamline workflows. Whitlatch explained that one of the latest innovations, Kahua AI, offers visualization capabilities. Builders can walk from room to room using a phone or tablet to scan images of the space and upload them to Kahua AI. He noted that project teams can feed Kahua AI specific code enforcement requirements, and the tool can conduct a “real-time scan and actually bring up what it suggests as a potential code violation or perhaps just something to improve.” Similarly, design and building firm Procon is considering how to improve builders’ workflows through a “reality first approach,” said Devito. Procon uses building information modeling technology to create digital renderings of projects with a 360-degree, interactive design, so clients can make color and material choices in real time. Procon uses its in-house Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-scanning technology to generate detailed 3D models for projects. Like remote sensing, LiDAR technology can help survey land for building construction or to assess an existing structure’s building components, such as sprinkler; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; and piping systems that may need upgrading or relocating. LiDAR data for land surveys can be collected using helicopters and drones. In addition, people who are already walking a job site can use a camera or phone attached to their hard hats and, within 30 minutes, collect visual data to gauge construction progress. This visual intelligence can be particularly helpful for offsite inspectors, who, once they visit the jobsite in person, are already up to date on the project’s status. Inspectors can virtually walk through a site, “seeing every aspect of the system [they are] going to be inspecting and making notes all along the way inside of the pictures,” said Davito. 

Digitized permitting processes are another innovative strategy to quickly activate vacant buildings into usable spaces. For example, DOB’s Pop-Up Permits program is helping revitalize areas of Washington, D.C., by enabling applicants to receive a certificate of occupancy for temporary use of buildings for up to 1 year through an online platform called Certifi. The program emerged as a solution to breathe new life into storefronts which became vacant during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Rogers. Pop-Up-Permits enable applicants to bypass the city’s traditional permitting and certificate of occupancy process, which typically can take more than 60 days. DOB streamlined the process so that the review and inspection occur within 15 business days of the application. Eligible projects include converting a vacant space to a new use with very little construction or a tenant change to a space that already has an established certificate of occupancy. In addition, homeowners can now obtain an “instant permit” within 2 minutes for repairs and installations, such as installing solar panels.

Increasing Uptake

Embracing change can be more difficult than adopting the technology itself, noted O’Neil. Training sessions can offer resources and practical examples for new users of digital platforms, said Whitlatch. Another method, as Rogers explained, is peer-to-peer support in small cohorts of “super users” who have become internal experts and can help colleagues learn new software or troubleshoot challenges as they arise. In addition, cultivating a culture in which employees feel safe to test new technology in pilot projects can help to refine processes and develop best practices. Identifying “internal champions” who are willing to take risks with the understanding that they are allowed to make mistakes is important, said Devito. Doing so also enables the organization to collect feedback on what strategies worked and why they worked. At the end of a pilot, an organization may choose a different course of action for the technology or discover that it can scale to future projects. 

Incorporating digitized tools into workflows also requires fostering a sense of community, especially among Tribal communities seeking to maintain cultural norms. Many Tribal nations do not publish building code and ordinance documents, which restricts the reach of AI-enabled tools. Some Tribal communities are, however, taking steps to digitize materials. As founder of the Code Advisory Group, a consulting and education firm that advocates for developing Tribal building codes and enforcement in Tribal communities, Jackson works alongside the Gila River Indian Community of Southwest Arizona, which is increasingly understanding the need to adopt AI technology to manage large-scale economic development projects. As an inspector in the Gila River Indian Community’s Building Safety Division, Jackson educates tribal leadership on the importance of investing in AI tools to increase information technology literacy and place Tribal communities on an equal playing field with other stakeholders involved in economic development projects. The Gila River Indian Community has adopted touchscreen tools to allow community members to access plans, handwritten documents, and forms electronically. 

Balancing Technology Use With Human Connection

Improving permitting efficiency through digital platforms, AI visualization, and integrated systems can reduce administrative burdens on building officials and improve predictability for applicants who need a fast decision. Panelists raised several cautions, noting that in Tribal contexts, new tools may increase and duplicate workloads, because inspectors must enter notes manually into a computer system. Whitlatch noted that the generative nature of AI means that it builds on the data it receives, so its output differs each time. Making AI output consistent, he said, requires several guardrails, checks and balances, a coded feedback loop, and, ultimately, a human feedback loop to ensure that the system is adhering to predetermined rules. Panelists noted that organizations need to remember that AI technology is an assistive tool. Although it can perform preliminary reviews, determine whether applications are missing documentation, and identify code violations, it must also be leveraged alongside human oversight.