Waiting on back-and-forth emails to get your Green Area Ratio design signed off by a Certified Landscape Expert (CLE) can stall a Certificate of Occupancy for weeks. Our CLE Priority Review skips the delay: upload your civil, stormwater, or GAR plans and get improvement notes or your CLE certification in five business days or less — often with initial feedback in 12 hours.
Skip the back-and-forth. Upload your plans and get a straight answer fast.
What Is a CLE Stamp and Who Needs One?
DOEE requires a Certified Landscape Expert to verify that a project’s Green Area Ratio landscape elements were installed according to the approved design before issuing a Certificate of Occupancy. If your GAR-related plans or as-built landscape don’t yet have that sign-off, your occupancy approval is stuck until they do.
When You Need CLE Priority Review
- Your Certificate of Occupancy is waiting on a CLE sign-off for GAR compliance
- You want an initial read on whether your civil or stormwater plans will pass CLE review before submitting elsewhere
- A previous CLE review came back with unclear or incomplete feedback
- You need a fast, direct answer instead of an open-ended review process
What’s Included
- Initial review of your uploaded Civil, Stormwater, or Green Area Ratio plans
- Clear improvement notes if your plans need changes before certification
- CLE certificate issued once plans meet requirements
- Initial review turnaround in 12 hours or less
- Full review and certificate in five (5) business days or less
Our Process
Start your CLE review by uploading your plans through our CLE Priority Review form. You’ll hear back with initial notes in 12 hours or less. If changes are needed, we tell you exactly what and why — no vague feedback. Once your plans meet the standard, your CLE certificate is issued within five business days of submission.
Why DMV Horticulture
Todd Krellner is a Certified Landscape Expert who also designs and installs GAR landscape elements, so review feedback comes from someone who understands both the paperwork and what’s actually buildable on your site — not just a compliance checklist.
CLE Priority Review: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Certified Landscape Expert (CLE)? A CLE is a DOEE-recognized professional authorized to verify that installed Green Area Ratio landscape elements match the approved design, required before Certificate of Occupancy.
How fast is the initial review? Initial review notes or your certificate are typically returned in 12 hours or less after you submit your plans.
What if my plans need changes? You’ll receive clear, specific improvement notes explaining what needs to change and why, so you’re not guessing at the next revision.
What file types can I submit? Civil, stormwater, and Green Area Ratio plan sets in standard formats (PDF, CAD exports) — ask if you’re unsure whether your files will work.
Is this only for GAR compliance, or does it cover other landscape sign-offs? CLE Priority Review is built around Green Area Ratio compliance review specifically, since that’s where a CLE stamp is most often the bottleneck to Certificate of Occupancy.
Get In Touch Today
Start your CLE Priority Review today, or call or text 443-934-0871 with questions before you upload your plans.