How Many Rounds of Corrections Are Normal?

Quick calibration lesson, because homeowners in round two often think they're failing when they're exactly on schedule.

The honest distribution:

• Zero rounds — it happens, mostly to complete, coordinated sets on simple projects in efficient cities. Celebrate it; don't expect it.
• One to two rounds — normal. The healthy pattern: a first letter with mostly info-requests, a thorough response, then approval (or a short second letter tying off loose ends).
• Three or more rounds — a symptom. Something specific is wrong, and it's worth diagnosing rather than grinding.

Diagnosing a stuck permit — the four usual suspects:

1. Incomplete responses. Each resubmission answered most items — and each unanswered item bought another full round. (Lesson 10.3's matrix exists for this.)
2. Whack-a-mole revisions. Fixing item 12 changed a sheet, which contradicted another sheet, which spawned new corrections. This is the uncoordinated-consultants failure from lesson 9.7 playing out in city rounds.
3. A genuine disagreement nobody's naming. One item keeps reappearing, reworded, because your team and the checker are quietly disputing an interpretation. Grinding doesn't fix this; a direct conversation (or lesson 10.7's escalation) does.
4. New reviewers. Staff turnover mid-project can bring fresh eyes and fresh comments on previously accepted sheets. Frustrating and real; a polite request to honor prior approvals, or a supervisor conversation, usually contains it.

What rounds cost in calendar time: each round ≈ city review time (bounded by the clock, often 2–4 weeks on rechecks) + your team's response time (unbounded). Two rounds with one-week responses beats one round with a two-month response. Say it again, because it's this module's chorus: response speed is the timeline.

When you're in round three: ask your team three questions. Which items are new versus repeating? (Repeats = suspect 3.) Did our last response answer every single item? (No = suspect 1.) Are new corrections appearing on sheets we changed? (Yes = suspect 2.) The answers name the fix.