What does “Intake / Initial Review” mean on a building permit?

Your application has been accepted and is in the city's first screening pass, where staff confirm the submittal is complete and route it to the right reviewers before substantive plan check begins. On South Pasadena's Accela portal, 'Pending Initial Review' means fees are paid and the application is queued for its first review. In San Diego DSD's intake phase, staff screen the application for completeness and calculate fees before it enters the review queue.

What should you do when a permit shows “Intake / Initial Review”?

Wait for a reviewer to be assigned. Make sure every required document and form was uploaded, because incomplete submittals get bounced back at intake and restart the clock. The next status is usually 'In Review' / 'Plan Review' once a reviewer picks it up.