Older homes add a second bottleneck: a basement built before current code often needs structural changes to meet minimum ceiling height or add a compliant egress window, and that work has to be designed and sometimes engineered before the permit application can even be complete.
Homeowners who hire a designer or contractor familiar with Saskatoon's secondary suite requirements from the start tend to move through the process faster than those who submit a plan drawn up without checking code first.
The City of Saskatoon's building standards branch is the source to confirm current requirements and processing expectations against your specific project. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.