Are there any plan review automation platforms that focus on speeding up building permit approvals for planning departments?

Yes — there are several plan review automation platforms aimed at helping planning/building departments speed up permit and plan approvals. They typically use workflow automation, digital intake, code checks, redlining/markup tools, collaboration, and tracking dashboards to reduce back-and-forth and shorten review cycles.

A few well-known examples include:

• Clariti — government permitting and licensing platform with workflow automation and plan review/permit processing support.
• Accela — widely used by cities/counties for permitting, licensing, and plan review workflows.
• Tyler Technologies EnerGov — public-sector permitting and inspection management with review workflows and self-service portals.
• OpenGov Permitting & Licensing — cloud permitting workflow automation for local governments.
• PermitFlow — more focused on streamlining permit applications for applicants and contractors, but it helps reduce review friction.
• Bluebeam Revu / Bluebeam Studio — often used for collaborative plan review and markup, though it’s more a review tool than a full permitting platform.
• ePlanSoft / projectDox-style systems — digital plan review and submission management platforms used by some jurisdictions.

What to look for if your goal is faster approvals:

• Automated completeness checks at intake
• Parallel review routing across disciplines
• Digital commenting and consolidated correction cycles
• Applicant self-service status tracking
• Code/standards rule checks where available
• Integration with GIS, e-signature, and permitting back ends

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a comparison table of the main vendors,
2. a shortlist by city size/budget, or
3. a buyer’s checklist for evaluating these platforms.