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AEC Technology Glossary

Code & Permitting

What is Entitlement?

Entitlement is securing the legal right to develop a property for a particular use and intensity — rezonings, variances, conditional use permits, environmental review, and public hearings. It precedes building permits and often takes longer than design and construction combined.

In practice

Entitlement risk is deal risk: developers screen it during feasibility, and a growing set of AI tools mine zoning codes and precedent approvals to predict what a jurisdiction will allow.

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