City of Tulsa Development Services Plan
Mayor G.T. Bynum announced major improvements to better serve the citizens of Tulsa and the development community.   Through a self-certification program, third-party review, and increased staff, we will decrease plan review times from five weeks to five days.
  • Launch of Self-Certification Program - Mayor Bynum initiated the Self-Certification Program, which is now in place to provide for submittal of building permit applications that have been certified by a licensed design professional (architect, landscape architect or engineer) to be building code compliant.

    This self-certification program is intended to help developers utilize their resources efficiently and enable them to exercise a greater amount of control to manage their development project through one or more pre-requisite approval steps.

    When the building permit application is submitted for the project, the self-certification statement of code-compliance will enable City staff to issue the building permit within the same day, given a reasonable time to process the application and payment of required fees.

    The City of Tulsa has also developed a manual to guide an applicant through the Self-Certification Program and process. Please know that applicants must complete all the forms and provide the information requested. Simply contact Nicole Gordon at (918) 596-1847 for an updated copy of the Ordinance and Manual. If you or your organization would like Development Services staff to make a special presentation on the Self-Certification Program, please contact Keri Fothergill at: kfothergill@cityoftulsa.org
  • Contract Services for Third Party Plan Review - By March 1, 2019, contracts will be in place for the City to engage third party entities to review plans in the event of an influx of permit applications that might otherwise create a backlog in the City's processes. These service providers will be engaged in the coming months to help reduce current wait times as the Development Services Department moves toward the goal of initiating the first plan review within five days.
  • Permanent Addition of Development Services Staff - The City is in the process of creating and posting eight new positions in Development Services. The goal is to have those positions online by April 2019. If you are interested in working for the City of Tulsa Development Services Department, please visit www.cityoftulsa.org/DSjobs. 

    • The staff increases will add five new plan review positions, including a Section Manager; two infrastructure development positions, including an additional hydrologist for stormwater review needs; and an additional staff member for the Permit Center to ensure speedy issuance of permits.
In addition to these changes, the City of Tulsa has implemented the following changes to the development process and Development Services Department in an effort to increase efficiency, improve customer experiences, and reduce development timelines.
  • Alignment of Development Services and Economic Development - In 2018, the City formed the Development Services Department as a standalone group reporting to Kian Kamas, the Chief of Economic Development. This structural shift ensures the department is fully integrated within the City's economic development goals.
  • Consolidation of Planning Department and INCOG - In late 2018, the Mayor's Office consolidated long-range and short-term planning efforts into a single entity at Indian Nation Council of Governments (INCOG) to provide the public with a single point of contact for planning and zoning services. INCOG is located at 2 West Second Street, Suite 800, (918) 584-7526, http://www.incog.org/
Opportunity Zones
In 2017, Congress approved "Opportunity Zones," a new federal tax incentive for the 2017 federal tax plan. These are ways for investors to reduce tax payments on gains while investing in projects within certain geographical areas, defined as low-income census tracts as established by the Governor's office. For more detailed information on Opportunity Zones, please see the Opportunity Zones Overview.

The City of Tulsa has designated 19 census tracts as federal Opportunity Zones, encompassing a diverse swath of the city that provides something for every investor.  You can access the interactive map online. 

Each Opportunity Zone has a story to tell. Be the next investor to make the smart choice and fund a project in an Opportunity Zone today. Below are Story Maps and other resources on each cluster of Opportunity Zones in the city.

For more information on the program or how to self-certify as a Qualified Opportunity Fund, please see this resource from the IRS.
Top 5 Permitting Process Mistakes
The City's Plan Review staff has provided us with the most common mistakes applicants make. So, watch for upcoming newsletters that highlight the mistakes that often delay the permitting process.
  1. Building Plan Preparation and Application Submittal: To avoid submitting incomplete drawings that can lead to costly delays, verify the City of Tulsa's current Zoning Codes, International Building Code 2015, International Existing Building Code 2015, International Residential Code 2015, International Fire Code 2015 and the City's Engineering Standards and various trade Codes. List of Current Codes.

    If you are working on a complex project, or have questions regarding the interpretation of a Code requirement, Development Services staff are happy to answer questions prior to submission, or to host a pre-development or code compliance meeting to talk through projects prior to submission.

  2. The Timing of your Permits: The City of Tulsa's processes run concurrently, but ultimately all reviews must be complete before a building permit can be issued. The City of Tulsa provides a one-stop coordinated process for the review of projects and building plans.

    You can enter all our permitting processes, land use, building permit, Infrastructure Development (IDP), and many more at the same time. However, one process may be a pre-requisite to another one, so please plan your timelines accordingly. Some processes take longer than others.

  3. Site Plan for Zoning Review Tips: To allow for an accurate zoning review, the City's Plan's Examiners need a site plan to include the following:
    • North arrow
    • Appropriate drawing scale
    • Legal description of the lot
    • Actual shape and dimensions of the lot
    • Lot lines and names of abutting streets
    • Public rights-of-way
    • The location and dimensions of existing buildings or structures, including distances to lot lines
    • The location, dimensions and height of proposed buildings or structures Architectural projections for existing and proposed buildings and structures
    • The intended use of existing and proposed buildings, structures or portion of the lot
    • The setbacks from the proposed new buildings or structures and alterations of existing buildings or structures to the centerline of abutting Right-of-Way
    • Location and dimensions of parking areas

  4. Applying for Trade Permits in Customer Self Service (CSS): A contractor must apply for Permits requiring a contractor's license using the contractor's login. This is a security feature that ensures only licensed contractors can apply for permits that require licenses. Other contacts, such as homeowners, office administrators, etc. may be added to the permit to allow others to track permit status, pay fees, schedule inspections, etc.

  5. Inspections: Certified building and trade inspectors perform inspections to assure that current development activities are being met by state adopted code and local ordinances. Permits and inspections are critical to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the public.

    The following are the top inspection violations:
    • Improper inspection scheduling, for example, no access to the work site
    • Failure to obtain permits for work being performed
    • Improper erosion control on construction sites
    • Equipment installation not in accordance with manufacturer's requirements
For additional assistance, please call the Permit Center at (918) 596-9546, or visit Permitting online.
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