Multifamily development guides
TECTO GROUP is a development management firm in Los Angeles. It leads multifamily projects for owners from site selection through delivery: site evaluation, feasibility, entitlement, design management and delivery, as one operation. These guides follow the same five stages, each written from the code text and the public record, with the sources cited, for Los Angeles, San Diego, the City of Miami and unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
Thesis
How TECTO reads a project: the positions behind the work.
- All marketsEvery pathway, compared
Why a multifamily site should be read under every approval pathway the code allows, and the pathway chosen on the drawn units and the returns.
- All marketsA building's value is set before the first drawing
Why the decisions that set a multifamily building's value are made at the front end: the site, the pathway, the program and the construction type, before design begins.
- All marketsThe financial model governs the design
How a multifamily project keeps its returns through design: every design decision priced in the model that underwrote the deal before it is committed, and costs held to the model as they are drawn.
- All marketsThe 2029 window: why entitlement work starts now
Apartment construction starts fell to their lowest level since 2011 and new supply bottoms around 2027. A building delivered into the tight years that follow has to be entitled and designed now.
- All marketsCapacity is created by states and administered by cities
How recent state laws in California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Washington and Massachusetts put multifamily on land where local zoning did not allow it, and why each city's implementation decides what a site can do.
- All marketsOwners keep the asset
Why a landowner or capital partner can build multifamily without giving up ownership: development management, with the owner contracting the licensed team directly and one manager directing it.
- All marketsBuildings that belong to their street
Why a multifamily program answers for more than its pro forma: the scale next door, the light, and units that people choose to live in, read alongside the numbers from the first study.
Fundamentals
How a multifamily development works, whatever the market.
- All marketsThe multifamily development process, step by step
The stages of a multifamily development from site to delivery: site evaluation, feasibility, entitlement, design, permits and construction, and the decision each stage exists to make.
- All marketsWhat a development manager does for a multifamily owner
How an owner's development manager leads a multifamily project: the decisions it prepares, the team it assembles and directs, and how the owner keeps the asset and the contracts.
- All marketsSite capacity: how many units a lot holds
How the number of units a multifamily site can hold is found: density, floor area ratio, height, yards, parking and the floor plate, and why the binding constraint is the one that matters.
- All marketsChoosing an entitlement pathway: units, time and risk
How to compare the approval routes for a multifamily site: the units each yields, the time and the discretion each involves, the set-aside it asks and what it does to the returns.
- All marketsEntitled land: what an approval holds and how it expires
What an entitlement gives a multifamily site, why approvals expire, how vesting protects a project from later rule changes, and the choice an owner of an approved site faces: build, sell or re-entitle.
- All marketsAffordable housing tax credits (LIHTC): the basics
How the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (26 U.S.C. 42) works for multifamily projects: the income tests, income averaging, the 9 and 4 percent credits and the compliance period.
- All marketsThe capital stack for a multifamily development
How a ground-up multifamily project is financed: the construction loan, mezzanine and preferred equity, the equity partners, and for affordable projects tax credits and public sources.
- All marketsMultifamily development glossary
Plain definitions of the terms used in multifamily development: entitlement, by right, ministerial, discretionary, FAR, density, set-aside, AMI, yield on cost, cap rate, RTI and more.
01 · Site evaluation
Parcel-level evaluation on regulatory, financial and market criteria.
- Los AngelesHow to evaluate a multifamily site in Los Angeles
What a multifamily site evaluation in the City of Los Angeles reads before any design: the zone and every overlay, transit proximity, the record of the parcel, existing tenants and the physical constraints.
02 · Feasibility
Underwriting that defines the financial envelope before design begins.
- All marketsMultifamily feasibility: the pro forma and yield on cost
How a multifamily development pro forma is built before design: units and rents, the total development cost, yield on cost and the exit cap rate, sensitivity and the capital structure.
03 · Entitlement
Every pathway the code allows, compared, and the approval each needs.
- Los AngelesEntitlement pathways in Los Angeles, compared
The multifamily approval pathways in the City of Los Angeles side by side: who decides, whether there is a hearing or an appeal, and what moves a project from one route to another.
- Los AngelesED 1 and AHIP: 100 percent affordable housing in Los Angeles
How a 100 percent affordable multifamily project is approved in the City of Los Angeles under LAMC 12.22 A.40, which codifies Executive Directive 1, and the Affordable Housing Incentive Program (LAMC 12.22 A.39).
- Los AngelesThe Mixed Income Incentive Program in Los Angeles
How the Mixed Income Incentive Program (LAMC 12.22 A.38) works for multifamily projects in the City of Los Angeles: transit, corridor and low-rise incentive areas, set-asides, incentives, waivers and who decides.
- Los AngelesThe State Density Bonus in Los Angeles
How California's density bonus law (Gov. Code 65915) is applied in the City of Los Angeles under LAMC 12.22 A.37: eligibility, the AB 1287 additional bonus, incentives, waivers and who decides.
- Los AngelesSB 79 transit-oriented development in Los Angeles
The status of SB 79 (Gov. Code 65912.155 to 65912.162) in the City of Los Angeles in 2026: what the state law allows near transit, the City's temporary exemption under Ordinance 188,968 and the pathways in use meanwhile.
- Los AngelesSB 684 and SB 1123: up to ten units on a ministerial map
How California's Starter Home Revitalization Act (SB 684, extended by SB 1123; Gov. Code 66499.41 and 65852.28) works in Los Angeles: a ministerial map and housing development of ten or fewer units.
- AtlantaHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Atlanta
How multifamily projects move through Atlanta's Part 16 zoning ordinance, the BeltLine Overlay District's inclusionary set-aside, the Special Administrative Permit and Georgia's Zoning Procedures Law, with the city's zoning rewrite still in draft.
- AustinHow Multifamily Approvals Work in Austin
How Texas Senate Bill 840, Austin's HOME initiative, the Affordability Unlocked density bonus, the Vertical Mixed Use overlay and the city's site plan process each shape a multifamily approval in Austin.
- BostonHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Boston
A plain explanation of the state and city rules that decide whether a multifamily project in Boston can proceed: the MBTA Communities Act, the Squares and Streets zoning districts, and Article 80 development review.
- CharlotteHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Charlotte, North Carolina
A primary source guide to Charlotte's development approvals: Neighborhood 1 duplex and triplex rules, the four Transit Oriented Development districts along the city's rapid transit corridors, and the City Council rezoning petition process.
- ColumbusMultifamily zoning approvals in Columbus, Ohio
How multifamily is approved in Columbus under the Zone In rezoning and Title 34, the residential tax abatement program's affordable set-asides, and the Development Commission and City Council steps.
- DallasHow Multifamily Approvals Work in Dallas
How Texas Senate Bill 840 and the City of Dallas Planned Development District process govern multifamily approvals in Dallas: SB 840's thresholds and standards, and the city's standard rezoning steps.
- DenverHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Denver
How Colorado's 2024 transit-oriented communities and parking laws, Denver's own repeal of parking minimums, the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance and site development plan review each shape a multifamily approval in Denver.
- Fort LauderdaleMultifamily zoning approvals in Fort Lauderdale
How Fort Lauderdale applies Florida's Live Local Act through an administrative site plan review, the ULDR's development permit levels, and the Downtown Regional Activity Center districts.
- Fort WorthHow Multifamily Approvals Work in Fort Worth
How Texas Senate Bill 840, Fort Worth's Planned Development zoning process and the Neighborhood Empowerment Zone program each decide a multifamily approval in Fort Worth.
- Kansas CityMultifamily zoning approvals in Kansas City, Missouri
How multifamily is approved in Kansas City, Missouri under the Zoning and Development Code, Chapter 88: the rezoning route through the City Plan Commission and City Council, and the city's tax abatement tools.
- Long BeachMultifamily zoning approvals in Long Beach
How multifamily is approved in Long Beach under Title 21 of the zoning code: SB 79 at the eight Metro A Line stations, the Enhanced Density Bonus, the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and the site plan review tiers.
- MiamiThe Live Local Act in the City of Miami
How Florida's Live Local Act (Fla. Stat. 166.04151(7)) works for multifamily rental projects in the City of Miami: eligibility, the 40 percent set-aside, height by comparator, administrative approval and the covenant.
- MiamiMiami 21 zoning for multifamily development
How multifamily is approved under Miami 21 in the City of Miami: By Right review inside the building permit, the Administrative Site Plan Review, the Public Benefits bonus and Workforce Living.
- Miami-Dade CountyMultifamily zoning in unincorporated Miami-Dade County
How multifamily is approved in unincorporated Miami-Dade County under Chapter 33: the RU apartment districts, Administrative Site Plan Review and the Workforce Housing density bonus.
- Miami-Dade CountyThe Live Local Act in unincorporated Miami-Dade County
How Florida's Live Local Act (Fla. Stat. 125.01055(7)) works in unincorporated Miami-Dade County: eligible land, the 40 percent set-aside, exclusions near airports and the County's Administrative Site Plan Review.
- Miami-Dade CountyThe Rapid Transit Zone in Miami-Dade County
How development is approved in Miami-Dade County's Rapid Transit Zone (Chapter 33C): the general development plan, the SMART Corridor Subzone options and Administrative Site Plan Review.
- MinneapolisHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Minneapolis
How Minneapolis regulates multifamily development under its 2040 Plan: the Built Form overlay districts, the elimination of minimum parking, mandatory inclusionary zoning, and the state of Minnesota zoning reform.
- NashvilleHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Nashville
How Metro Nashville decides multifamily projects: the Specific Plan rezoning route, the December 2025 Residential Neighborhood and Residential Limited districts, and Tennessee's 2024 limit on local inclusionary rules.
- New York CityHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in New York City
An overview of the zoning, affordability, tax incentive and approval provisions that govern new multifamily development in New York City, including the Universal Affordability Preference, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, 485-x and ULURP.
- OrlandoHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Orlando Under the Live Local Act
How the City of Orlando applies Florida's Live Local Act, Fla. Stat. 166.04151(7), to multifamily and mixed-use projects: eligibility, administrative approval and the Land Development Code steps that still apply.
- PhiladelphiaMultifamily zoning approvals in Philadelphia
How multifamily is approved under Title 14 of the Philadelphia Code: the RM districts, the Mixed Income Housing Bonus, Civic Design Review thresholds and the Zoning Board of Adjustment variance standard.
- PhoenixHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Phoenix
How Arizona's adaptive reuse and multifamily law, House Bill 2110 and the Adaptive Reuse and Multi-Family Overlay District, Phoenix's Walkable Urban Code and the city's standard rezoning process each decide a multifamily project in Phoenix.
- PortlandHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Portland, Oregon
How Portland fits multifamily into Oregon's middle housing law, the Residential Infill Project, the Better Housing by Design multi-dwelling zones and the city's mandatory Inclusionary Housing program for larger buildings.
- RaleighHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Raleigh
How Raleigh's Unified Development Ordinance decides multifamily projects: the Missing Middle text changes, the Transit Overlay District's height bonus, the rezoning steps and North Carolina's 2026 Regulatory Reform Act.
- Salt Lake CityHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Salt Lake City
How Salt Lake City routes multifamily approvals: Utah HB 462 station area plans near transit, the 2024 Affordable Housing Incentives program, and the city's administrative, conditional use and rezoning approval steps.
- San AntonioHow Multifamily Approvals Work in San Antonio
How Texas Senate Bill 840 and San Antonio's Unified Development Code decide a multifamily approval: the zoning change process, the Zoning Commission and City Council steps, and the UDC's own density bonus.
- San DiegoComplete Communities Housing Solutions in San Diego
How San Diego's Complete Communities Housing Solutions program (SDMC 143.1001 to 143.1030) works for multifamily projects: eligibility, the floor area tiers, the 40 percent set-aside, amenities and the ministerial path.
- San DiegoThe State Density Bonus in San Diego
How California's density bonus law is applied in the City of San Diego under the Affordable Housing Regulations (SDMC Chapter 14, Article 3, Division 7): eligibility, incentives, waivers and the ministerial path.
- San DiegoSB 79 transit-oriented development in San Diego
How SB 79 (Gov. Code 65912.155 to 65912.162) applies in the City of San Diego in 2026: the eligible-sites layer, the Tier 2 standards by distance and the Process One building permit (IB-479).
- San FranciscoHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in San Francisco
An overview of San Francisco's Family Zoning Plan, the Housing Choice-SF local density bonus, the state density bonus and SB 423 ministerial review, and who decides each: the Planning Department, the Planning Commission or Discretionary Review.
- SeattleHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Seattle
Seattle multifamily approvals depend on a state middle housing law, the city's affordability program, a 2025 state station area housing law, and a Master Use Permit process whose design review step is currently voluntary under interim city rules.
- Washington DCHow Multifamily Housing Gets Approved in Washington DC
How multifamily development is approved in the District of Columbia: matter-of-right construction under the Zoning Regulations of 2016, Inclusionary Zoning, the Planned Unit Development process, the Housing in Downtown tax abatement and the federal Height Act.
- West Palm BeachMultifamily zoning approvals in West Palm Beach
How multifamily is approved in West Palm Beach: administrative approval of Live Local projects under Fla. Stat. 166.04151(7), the City Commission's review of affordable housing under 166.04151(6), and the Downtown Master Plan review.
04 · Design management
The construction type, the project team and the design held to the pro forma.
- Los AngelesConstruction types for multifamily in Los Angeles
How the building code sets the construction type of a multifamily building in Los Angeles: the height and story limits for wood, mass timber and concrete, the podium, the high-rise threshold and Fire District No. 1.
- All marketsThe project team for a multifamily building
The licensed disciplines a multifamily project draws on, from the architect and engineers of record to survey, geotechnical, traffic and code consultants, and how an owner's development manager directs them.
05 · Delivery
Plan check, the clearances and the permit, then construction tracked to the model.
- Los AngelesFrom plan check to a permit ready to issue in Los Angeles
What a multifamily building permit in the City of Los Angeles requires after entitlement: LADBS plan check and the clearances of every department, the affordability covenant, the fees and the school fee.
- San DiegoBuilding permits in San Diego: Process One and plan review
How a multifamily building permit is decided in the City of San Diego: Process One, the published plan review estimates and what moves a project to a development permit.
These guides summarize the code text for general information and are not legal advice. Every site is read under the code, the overlays and the ordinances that apply to it on the day of preparation. Code text verified 28 October 2026.
TECTO GROUP takes multifamily sites through these pathways for owners, from the first study through entitlement and design to a permit ready to issue. Send the address of the site under consideration.
Email lucas@tecto.group