Permit Revision vs. Amendment: What Is the Difference?
A "permit revision" and a "permit amendment" refer to the same underlying action: updating an already-approved building permit to reflect a change in scope, cost, or design, without filing a brand-new application. Different building departments use different labels for this filing. New York City calls it a Post-Approval Amendment (PAA), filed through DOB NOW: Build or eFiling, as of September 2026.
Both words describe a filing made after a permit has already been approved and issued, not before. The filing is not a new permit application: it is attached to the existing, open job so the on-file plans and the field conditions stay in agreement.
The word a jurisdiction uses is a naming choice, not a difference in what the filing does. New York City's Department of Buildings uses "amendment," and its Post-Approval Amendment (PAA) process is the concrete, citable example this page uses: a PAA updates an open DOB NOW: Build or eFiling job after the initial permit was approved, and it is filed by the applicant of record, not created automatically by an inspection.
A revision or amendment is different from a brand-new permit application (which starts a fresh review of the whole scope) and from a change order (a private contract document between an owner and contractor; see the linked page below). A permit revision changes what the government has on file. A change order changes what the owner and contractor owe each other.
Frequently asked
Does NYC DOB use the word "revision" or "amendment"?
NYC DOB's own process is named Post-Approval Amendment (PAA). "Revision" is common informal and cross-jurisdiction terminology for the same kind of filing.
Can a permit revision change the job type or scope significantly?
A PAA is meant for changes to an already-approved job. A change large enough to be a materially new project typically requires a new filing rather than an amendment; DOB's own PAA guidance describes the amendment as tied to the original, open job.