Austin review guidance changes and every property differs. Build a dependency schedule and update its forecast when evidence changes.
Gate 1: property and project definition
Confirm jurisdiction, parcel records, current buildings, intended dwellings, zoning/HOME route and controlling site issues. Commission needed survey, tree, drainage, structural or utility work.
Close the gate with a written feasibility decision and risk register. See Austin ADU feasibility.
Gate 2: concept and delivery strategy
Test placement, rooms, household use, access, privacy and service routes. Compare repeat plans, prefab and custom work. Obtain early construction feedback and update the full owner range.
Close with one approved concept, named design team, delivery model and property assumptions.
Gate 3: address and coordinated documents
Complete the plan set and supporting technical work. Austin directs owners to obtain a unique address or building number before the residential permit application. Coordinate architecture, structure, energy, systems, trees and drainage.
Close with the confirmed address, completed submission package and internal coordination check.
Gate 4: intake and Residential Plan Review
Submit through the current City route. Track intake completeness, plan-review fee payment, reviewer comments, consultant responses and resubmission. Separate days under City review from days awaiting project-team action.
Close when the application is approved and the generated permits/conditions are understood.
Gate 5: commercial alignment
Issue one dated pricing set to qualified contractors. Allow time for site visits, questions, scope normalization, entity/insurance/reference checks and contract review.
Close with an agreement tied to the approved documents, an owner budget and a realistic baseline construction schedule.
Gate 6: permit activation and pre-start
Austin says pending building and trade permits must be paid and activated before construction. Also resolve provider actions, deferred documents, product orders, insurance and site logistics.
Hold a preconstruction meeting covering access, tree/site protection, occupied-home safety, inspections, communications and changes.
Gate 7: field delivery
A detached build may move through mobilization, removals, earthwork, foundation, framing, dry-in, rough services, enclosure completion, insulation, interiors, fixtures and external restoration. Conversion or attached work follows a different sequence.
Use a rolling schedule for the next inspections, owner decisions and deliveries. Weather, concealed conditions and corrections may change near-term work.
Gate 8: inspection and closeout
Complete punch work, testing and final inspections. Austin says the Certificate of Occupancy follows the passed final building inspection and permit closure.
Collect the approved record, product information, actual warranties, manuals, change ledger and any survey or utility closeout material. Confirm contract conditions before final payment.
Maintain three linked registers
Decision register: selection, owner, due date and consequence.
Agency register: submission, comment, response and approval status.
Procurement register: product, final selection, order date, lead time and installation need date.
The master schedule should refer to these records rather than hiding uncertainty in long bars.
Distinguish duration from active work
Elapsed calendar time includes waiting for information, review and products. Contractor working days are different. Proposals should state what duration they describe and the assumptions behind start.
Do not convert an Austin published review target into a guaranteed permit date. Do not convert a construction duration into a promise when the start conditions remain open.
Plan owner choices by consequence
Set early deadlines for dwelling path, plan, exterior form, windows, HVAC, electrical service and plumbing layout. Later finishes can follow a selection schedule tied to procurement and rough-in.
Changing layout after structural or service design affects more than the drawing labelled “floor plan.”
Add a recovery rule before delays occur
For each critical milestone, state who reports a delay, when a revised forecast is due and which later activities can proceed safely. Recovery should not mean hiding inspection, cure time or quality work.
Keep the owner decision log beside the schedule. A late selection, review response and site discovery are different causes and need different remedies. Update the related line in the cost forecast when delay changes money.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an Austin ADU take?
It depends on property investigation, design route, City review, provider work, contractor availability and field conditions. Ask for a project schedule with assumptions and dependencies.
Can builder selection happen during plan review?
Yes. Use a controlled pricing set and state how comments or approved revisions will be reconciled.
Can site work begin before permits activate?
Do not start permit-required construction without the required active approvals. Confirm any proposed early work with the authority and professionals.
What owner decision most affects timing?
Late changes to the dwelling arrangement, size or plan can reset design and review. Resolve the project definition first.