(TNS) — The Honolulu Planning and Permitting Authority has launched a new program to use an artificial intelligence-assisted review platform to expedite eligible building permit applications ahead of the software becoming mandatory later this year.
The program, called Priority Review, incentivizes applicants to use CivCheck, an AI-guided platform, by offering a faster and more efficient permitting process, according to a DPP news release issued Tuesday.
DPP said that increased participation in this new review will also provide more opportunities for DPP staff to gain experience with the platform while supporting continued improvements to the system.
DPP said projects submitted through CivCheck are prioritized and sent directly to the pre-review stage of the application process, allowing applications to progress to review more quickly if the submission is complete and ready to proceed.
The DPP says the use of priority screening is a temporary incentive to allow applicants to experience the benefits of CivCheck before it becomes mandatory later this year.
“The challenge today is that participation remains voluntary. Approximately 130 to 140 users have registered with CivCheck, resulting in more than 50 applications being submitted through the platform,” DPP spokesperson Davis Pitner said. honolulu star advertiser. “The results are very promising, but these efficiencies need to be adopted more broadly to benefit the entire permitting system.”
He said the goal is not to create faster lines for some applicants, but over time to “improve the quality of all permit applications and make the entire permit process faster and more predictable.”
However, applicants must first ensure that their project is eligible for CivCheck. For example, this platform is only available for residential projects. DPP said commercial projects are expected to be added later this year.
Eligible projects include:
- Single-family, two-family, and duplex projects.
- Accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and Ohana units.
- New construction, expansion and renovation.
Ineligible projects include:
- commercial project.
- Electric meters, electric car chargers, and general electrical work.
- General plumbing work.
- Fencing, retaining walls, and rewiring projects.
- Solar power project.
DPP says once a project is confirmed as eligible, applicants can complete the CivCheck review process. If you pass the screening, you will be issued a CivCheck ID number.
Applicants can then submit permit applications through the HNL Build platform.
The DPP said applicants must enter their full CivCheck ID number in the field provided so that staff can properly track their application and place it in the priority review queue.
The department said the program provides expedited processing but does not guarantee immediate approval. All applications remain subject to necessary reviews and approvals by other city and state agencies, including the water board.
The department also said that as CivCheck becomes mandatory later this year, priority review is intended as a temporary program to help applicants become familiar with the software before the transition.
According to the DPP, CivCheck has brought significant improvements to the permitting process since its launch in December.
Nearly 40 applications use the software, and most applications have experienced significantly faster review times and fewer modifications than similar applications not using the platform, the ministry said.
DPP said average review time has been reduced from 73 days to 32.5 days, and processing time per permit has been reduced by approximately 40.5 days. The average plan review cycle also decreased from 3.4 cycles to 1.4 cycles.
“These are the latest performance results available for AI-assisted permit review,” Pitner said. “As additional applications are completed, DPP will continue to validate and report these results using an even larger dataset.”
He pointed out that this figure is based on 19 residential permits, including new construction, additions and alterations, processed by CivCheck and is based on comparable planning review data. The comparison group consisted of 17 similar non-CivCheck projects with sufficient data for analysis.
“We recognize that the 19 completed applications represent a relatively small sample,” Pitner said. “However, these results are consistent with those observed during DPP’s initial six-month CivCheck pilot program, which also demonstrated significant improvements in application quality and review efficiency.”
He added: “As participation is currently voluntary and limited to certain types of housing projects, the number of completed applications is gradually increasing.”
“We expect the dataset to grow significantly as CivCheck expands to additional project types and becomes mandatory for eligible permits,” Pitner said.
Meanwhile, DPP Director Dawn Takeuchi Apna remained confident in the department’s use of the new AI-based system.
“The results we have from CivCheck already demonstrate the real impact this technology can have on the permitting process,” she said in a statement. “This is just a glimpse of what the impact will be if all applicants start using the software.”
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