Land Development Permitting & Entitlements.
Direct coordination with city, county, state, federal, and watershed-district agencies on zoning, grading, stormwater, utility, and access approvals. Same engineer through the entire approval process.
The approval stack, in plain English.
Land development permitting is the process of getting government approvals required to develop a site. Depending on the project, this can include zoning approvals, site plan review, grading permits, stormwater permits, utility permits, access permits, building permits, and watershed-district approvals.
The permitting stack is the most underestimated part of land development. A clean technical design that doesn't match what the local jurisdiction actually requires will sit in resubmittals for months. Coordination starts with knowing what each agency wants and timing the conversations correctly.
We handle the full coordination across city, county, state, and federal agencies for projects in Minnesota and Colorado, including watershed districts in MN and county engineering departments throughout CO.
Real Land Pro deliverable: stamped construction-set drawing for permit submittal.
Who reviews what.
Local Engineering & Planning
Site plan approval, zoning, grading and erosion permits, building permits, and local stormwater requirements. Most projects start and end here.
MPCA & MnDOT
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for Construction Stormwater General Permit and SWPPPs. Minnesota DOT for state highway access. Minnesota DNR for waters and wetlands.
CDPHE & CDOT
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for stormwater permits. Colorado DOT for state highway access. Colorado Parks & Wildlife where applicable.
Especially Twin Cities
Twin Cities metro projects almost always require watershed-district review for stormwater rate, volume, and water-quality treatment. We coordinate directly.
USACE & EPA
Section 404 wetland permits through US Army Corps of Engineers when needed. EPA NPDES coordination for construction stormwater.
Water, Sewer, Electric, Gas
Direct coordination with municipal utility districts and private utility providers for service availability, capacity, and connection approvals.
Permitting questions, answered.
What is land development permitting?
Land development permitting is the process of getting government approvals required to develop a site. Depending on the project, this can include zoning approvals, site plan review, grading permits, stormwater permits, utility permits, access permits, building permits, and watershed-district approvals.
What permits do I need for land development?
Permit requirements depend on site location, project size, and scope. Most land development projects require some combination of: zoning or site plan approval, grading and erosion control permit, construction stormwater permit (MPCA in MN, CDPHE in CO), watershed-district approval (in MN), wetland permits (state and federal), access permit, and utility permits.
How long does the permitting process take?
It varies. Simple grading permits can be issued in weeks. Full site plan + zoning + watershed approvals on a multi-phase subdivision can take six months to over a year. Front-loading the technical work and coordinating with agency staff early shortens the timeline meaningfully.
Can you handle permitting directly?
Yes. We coordinate directly with city, county, state, federal, and watershed-district agencies on zoning, grading, stormwater, utility, and access approvals across Minnesota and Colorado.
Founder of Land Pro Civil. PE licensed in MN, CO, ND, UT. UMN Civil Engineering. More about Paul →
Tell us about your site.
Whether you're at feasibility or knee-deep in agency review, we'll give you a practical read on what permitting looks like.
Tell us about your project
We'll respond the same business day.
Open Project FormOr call (303) 229-0180 to speak with Paul directly.