In my experience, those city delays are almost never built into the original schedule, which seems like a big oversight.
Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. It’s like everyone pretends permitting is just a minor hiccup, then acts surprised when it drags on for months. Did your lender actually ask for a realistic timeline from your builder, or did they just default to their own template? Sometimes I wonder if anyone’s really tracking how often these “standard” schedules work out.
Title: What’s a “Normal” Length for Construction Loans These Days?
You’d be surprised how often I see those cookie-cutter schedules get handed out, like every project’s gonna go exactly the same. Lenders usually just want a number on paper, and most of the time they don’t push back on the builder’s estimate—unless it’s way off the usual. Permitting is almost always the wild card, but nobody wants to admit it up front because it makes the timeline look worse. I’ve had projects where we lost three months just waiting for a city inspector to come back from vacation... try explaining that to a bank.
Curious if anyone here has actually gotten a lender to accept a longer schedule based on real permitting timelines? Or do they just expect you to “figure it out” if things run long? Sometimes I feel like we’re all just crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.
Permitting is almost always the wild card, but nobody wants to admit it up front because it makes the timeline look worse.
That hits home. I remember thinking our build would be “by the book” until the permit office decided to change their process midstream. We ended up with a six-month loan extension, but only after a lot of back-and-forth and proof of delays. It’s frustrating how lenders seem to expect you to just absorb those hiccups. Have you ever tried showing them actual city timelines or news articles about local delays? Sometimes that helps, but honestly, it still feels like a gamble. Hang in there—these things rarely go as planned, but you’re definitely not alone.
PERMITTING DELAYS AREN’T ALWAYS THE MAIN ISSUE
It’s frustrating how lenders seem to expect you to just absorb those hiccups.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not convinced permitting is always the biggest wild card. Sure, it can throw a wrench in things, but in my experience, contractor scheduling and supply chain issues have caused just as many headaches—sometimes more. We had our permits in hand within a couple weeks, but then our framing crew got pulled onto another job and we lost a month right there. Lumber delivery was delayed another two weeks after that. None of that had anything to do with the city.
I do agree that lenders aren’t exactly flexible, but I’ve found some are more understanding if you keep them in the loop early and often. Sending them news articles or city data is a good move, but sometimes just having a detailed project timeline with built-in contingencies helps. They want to see you’ve thought things through, not just blaming the city for every delay.
Honestly, I think the “normal” construction loan length is a moving target these days. Between labor shortages, material delays, and yes, permitting, it’s tough to pin down. Our last project was supposed to be 10 months start to finish and ended up at 15. Only about three of those months were permit-related.
Not saying permitting isn’t a pain—just that it’s one piece of a much bigger puzzle. If you can pad your timeline a bit from the start, it takes some of the pressure off when the unexpected happens... which it always does.
WHAT’S A “NORMAL” LENGTH FOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS THESE DAYS?
- Totally agree, permitting gets blamed for everything but it’s rarely the only culprit. On my last build, the inspector was actually the fastest part—meanwhile, my tile guy ghosted for three weeks and the custom windows took forever.
- Lenders definitely want to see you’ve got a plan. I started adding a “rainy day” buffer to my timelines and it’s saved me from a few awkward calls.
- Honestly, if you finish in under 14 months these days, you deserve a medal... or at least a decent bottle of wine.
- It’s all about expecting the unexpected. If only we could get contractors and suppliers on the same page as our calendars...
