The PermitPal sales page, captured 2026-09-23
PermitPal review
Gives you a permit checklist and a cost estimate for your build before you call anyone
By the RJ Editorial Team. Sales page checked 2026-09-23. Last updated 2026-09-23.
Is it worth it?
You've been meaning to do the deck, or convert the garage, or finally open up the kitchen wall. The bit that stalls it usually isn't the work, it's the not knowing: does this need a permit, what does the city actually want from you, and is the quote you got anywhere near the real number once fees and materials land. PermitPal takes a ZIP code and a project description and hands back two things in one report: a permit checklist for your municipality, and a material and labour cost estimate. The cost side uses RSMeans data, which is a real construction pricing source, so the figures have a basis rather than being invented on the spot. Where it genuinely earns its keep is the first hour of planning. It gives you the vocabulary, a ballpark, and a list of questions to take to your building department or your contractor. That's worth a lot when you currently have none of those. What it isn't is authoritative. It's AI interpreting municipal rules, and those rules change, get applied differently by different inspectors, and vary by lot. Treat the checklist as a draft to confirm with a phone call, not a green light. The page also leans hard on fine and stop-work figures, which are the seller's framing rather than something to plan around.
Pros
- Permits and costs in one report instead of two separate headaches
- Cost estimates built on RSMeans pricing, not guesswork
- Fast enough to sanity-check an idea before you get serious
- Useful question list to take into a contractor conversation
Cons
- AI-generated, so the permit list needs verifying with your actual city office
- Recurring billing and no price shown until you click through to plans
- No refund terms anywhere on the page
- Doesn't file anything for you, you still do the paperwork
What you get
You enter a ZIP code and describe the project, and about a minute later a report lands: a permit checklist for your city or county, estimated permit and inspection fees, a material and labour cost breakdown by category (lumber, concrete, electrical, plumbing), shopping links to Home Depot and Lowe's for each category, and inspector tips with common mistake warnings. It bills on a subscription, so you can run several projects through it.
Before you buy
- Check the plan price and billing cycle, and how cancelling works, before entering card details
- Run one project and compare the permit list against a call to your local building department
- If your area is a small town or unincorporated county, test coverage early, that's where the guessing gets loosest
Who it suits
Homeowners, small contractors and investors with several projects ahead who want a fast starting point, not a finished permit application. Overkill for one small job.
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