How one builder fast-tracked approvals using Spacial’s AI-assisted workflow.

For most residential builders in California, permits are a waiting game. Even simple projects can take weeks to move through structural review, and a single redline can delay the entire timeline.

But for one builder working on a tight deadline in San Diego County, the process looked completely different. With Spacial, they went from design-ready plans to a stamped, permit-submittable set in just four days — including corrections. Here’s how they did it.

The Challenge: A Tight Deadline and No Room for Error

The project: a two-story ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) with a rooftop deck.

The deadline: less than two weeks to get the structure permitted, or risk pushing back excavation and framing by a full month.

Their usual engineer was booked out. Their city had just updated Title 24 energy code references. And their architect needed structural markups back within 48 hours.

The Spacial Workflow

The builder’s architect had already heard of Spacial and suggested giving it a shot. Here’s what happened next:

🗓️ Day 1:

The architect uploaded a PDF of the full drawing set to Spacial. Within minutes, the platform flagged five structural issues: two undersized beams, one missing shear wall, and two code inconsistencies related to new lateral load requirements.

🗓️ Day 2:

The design team reviewed Spacial’s auto-markups and made the updates directly in the CAD file. They re-uploaded by the end of the day.

🗓️ Day 3:

Spacial’s engineer reviewed the revised set, confirmed compliance, and applied a digital stamp to the final documents.

🗓️ Day 4:

The builder submitted the stamped set to the city portal — with a clean application and no resubmittals requested.

The Results

✅ Total time to permit-ready set: 4 days
✅ Redlines from the city: 0
✅ Time saved vs. traditional process: Estimated 10+ business days
✅ Team feedback: “It felt like we skipped the usual chaos.”

Beyond the numbers, what stood out to the team was how fast and predictable the process felt — and how easy it was to build trust with the city by submitting a clear, code-aligned set.

One Small Project. One Big Shift.

Not every project will move this fast — and not every city will skip comments entirely. But this builder’s experience shows what’s possible when structural review becomes intelligent, responsive, and integrated into the design process.

This isn’t just a one-off win. It’s a preview of what permit workflows are starting to look like across California and beyond.