About PermitsGuide.com

Free, accurate building permit guides for homeowners across all 50 states.

Our Mission

Building permit rules shouldn't require a phone call to city hall or a paid consultation just to understand. But that's the reality for most homeowners. Permit requirements are buried in municipal code, scattered across dozens of government websites, and written in language that assumes you already know the system.

PermitsGuide.com exists to fix that. We research permit rules at the state and city level so you can find out whether your project needs a permit, what it will cost, and how to apply — in plain language, for free.

Our Reviewers

Every guide on PermitsGuide.com is reviewed by at least one licensed professional before publication. Our review panel includes:

How Our Content Is Created

Each guide follows the same research process. We start with the applicable state building code and any statewide residential construction statutes. We then review the local municipal code for city-specific requirements, including permit thresholds, fee schedules, and exemptions. Where possible, we verify details directly with city permitting departments.

After research is complete, the guide is reviewed by one or more members of our expert panel — licensed contractors, building inspectors, and attorneys who check the content for accuracy, completeness, and practical relevance.

Editorial Standards

We hold our content to a simple standard: every claim should be verifiable against an official source. If a guide states that a city exempts decks under 200 square feet, that threshold should be traceable to a specific code section or published city policy.

Building codes change. We review and update our guides regularly to reflect new code adoptions, fee changes, and revised exemption thresholds. Each guide displays the date it was last reviewed. If you spot an error or an outdated detail, we want to know — corrections are made promptly.

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