Joe DownsCEO & Co-Founder, Belrose Storage Group. Founder, Storage Moguls.

Permitting, Zoning, and Hidden Expansion Costs

20 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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In this advisory segment, the speaker emphasizes that while a financial pro forma may support a property expansion, the project cannot proceed until permitting and zoning hurdles are addressed. The discussion outlines the essential approvals—building permits, zoning approvals, and site‑plan reviews—and stresses the importance of early verification of local zoning limits such as height restrictions and lot‑coverage ratios. The speaker warns that the approval process typically takes three to six months and that developers should budget between $20,000 and $50,000 for engineering and permit fees. The overall message is a realistic caution that permitting and zoning are major, often underestimated, cost and time factors in any expansion project.

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But it's not always that easy because we haven't dealt with the challenges of permitting and zoning yet. So while the pro forma can justify an expansion, can't get ahead of ourselves just yet. Permitting and zoning challenges are a major factor in any expansion. You'll need building permits, zoning approvals, site plan reviews before you can even break ground. And you need to check your local zoning limits like height restrictions and lot coverage early on. This process is not quick, expect 3 to 6 months just for approvals, and budget $20,000 to $50,000 for engineering and permit fees.