A permit may be issued for construction of part of a building before the construction documents for the whole building are submitted. What is this called?

The correct term for a permit issued for part of a building's construction prior to the submission of construction documents for the entire building is a provisional permit. Provisional permits allow for the commencement of work on certain segments of a project when all of the necessary plans and permits for the entire project are not yet finalized. This facilitates timely progress on the construction and can be particularly useful in keeping projects on schedule, especially when there are delays in the finalization of the entire set of documents.

Each choice reflects different types of permits that may exist within construction regulation, but a provisional permit specifically denotes that it is temporary and conditional, allowing work to begin while waiting for complete documentation. The use of the term "provisional" captures the essence that this permit is an interim step in the approval process.