Help & How It Works
Everything you need to know about getting accurate permit information from PermitAssist.
🔍 How to Get the Best Results
- Be specific about the job — "200 amp electrical panel upgrade" beats "electrical work." The more detail, the more precise the permit match.
- Include the job address when possible, especially for county and unincorporated areas where jurisdiction can vary by street.
- Use the Residential / Commercial toggle correctly — commercial permits are often different (higher fees, more inspections, plan review required).
- Answer the follow-up questions — when we ask "minor repair or full replacement?" it changes whether you need a permit at all.
💡 Pro tip: If you're quoting multiple jobs, look up each one separately. Permit requirements can vary by city, even for the same type of work.
🏷️ What the Confidence Labels Mean
Every result includes a confidence badge so you know how much to trust it:
✓ Verified Data
Matched against our curated database of verified city + trade data. Cross-checked against official building department sources. Highest confidence.
🔍 AI-Researched
Researched live from current web sources including building department websites. Good data, but not pre-verified — double-check fees before you drive to the office.
⚠️ County Fallback
Your exact city wasn't in our database, so we used county-level data. Usually close, but call the local building department to confirm.
General Estimate
Limited local data available. Use this as a starting point and verify everything directly with the building department.
📋 What to Verify Before You Submit
PermitAssist gets you 90% of the way there, but always confirm these details with the building department before submitting your application:
- Permit type and name — make sure you're applying for the right one
- Current fee amount — fees change, especially at the start of the year
- Who can pull the permit — some cities require a licensed contractor, others let homeowners pull their own
- Required documents — plans, engineering calcs, contractor license, insurance
- Inspection stages — know what inspections happen and in what order
⚠️ Important: Permit rules change. Our data is updated regularly, but your local building department is always the final authority. One phone call can save you from a failed inspection.
💼 Saved Jobs & Reminders
When you save a lookup as a job, it's tied to your account. You can:
- Track which permits you've researched across all your projects
- Set permit expiry dates and get email reminders before they expire
- Add a job address for better record-keeping
- Come back and re-check requirements anytime
📤 Sharing & Exporting
From any result screen, you can:
- Share via link — Send a shareable link to a coworker, office manager, or client. Links expire after 30 days.
- Foreman Brief — One-page summary designed to hand to your foreman or leave on the job site.
- Print / PDF — Print the full result or save as PDF for your records.
- Email to yourself — Get a copy in your inbox for easy reference.
🏘️ Verified Cities
We maintain a curated database of permit data for major cities across the US, verified against official building department sources. View all verified cities →
Don't see your city? We add new cities every week. On Solo and Team plans, you can request priority additions.
💰 Plans & Pricing
Every account gets 3 free lookups, no reset — no credit card required. Need more? See our plans →
- Free: 3 lookups total, no reset, with full results
- Solo ($39.99/mo): Unlimited lookups, job tracking, reminders, priority city requests
- Team ($79.99/mo): Everything in Solo + 3 seats, shared job board, priority city requests (48hr turnaround)