Frequently asked questions

It varies — by state, by county or city, by the size of the structure, and sometimes by where it sits on your lot. Many jurisdictions exempt very small sheds (commonly under 120 or 200 sq ft) from a building permit but still require you to meet setbacks, and some require a zoning review even for exempt structures. Open carports are often treated as accessory structures that need a permit above a certain footprint. Enclosed garages almost always need one.

Confirming exactly what your jurisdiction requires is the first thing we do after you order. If it turns out no permit is required at all, we tell you, document it, and refund you less the $200 compliance-research fee.

The complete Full Permit Service: jurisdiction permit research (which permits apply, setbacks, zoning, submittal checklist), a professional permit-ready site plan, completion of every permit application form, submission of the package to the jurisdiction, ongoing liaison with the jurisdiction on your behalf, and handling of all correction requests and resubmissions until the permit is approved. You also get plain-English instructions every time the county needs you to click, sign or pay something.

Not included: jurisdiction fees, engineered drawings (your manufacturer supplies those), site visits, HOA approvals, variances, easement/environmental work, and engineer or surveyor services. See What's included.

At intake: your building order or quote from the manufacturer (size, style, roof type, wind/snow rating) and the property address. That's enough for us to start the research and the site plan.

Later: when your manufacturer sends you the engineered/stamped plans, forward them through the upload link we send. And when the jurisdiction needs something only the owner can do — a portal account, a signature, a fee payment — we'll tell you exactly what, where and when.

From your building manufacturer. Most manufacturers send engineered/stamped drawings directly to the purchasing customer and won't send them to third parties — that's their policy. When yours arrive (by email, portal or mail), upload them using the link we text and email you and we'll add them to the permit package. If you're not sure whether your building comes with engineered plans, ask your dealer before ordering — most jurisdictions require them for steel structures.

No. PermitCat is a fully remote, digital service. Your site plan is drafted from the information you provide, county parcel/GIS data and aerial imagery. That's how we serve every state at one flat price. If your jurisdiction requires a surveyed or stamped site plan (uncommon for accessory structures), we'll tell you and help you find a local surveyor — that work is outside our scope.

You do, directly to the jurisdiction. Permit fees, plan-review fees, inspection fees and any special inspections are set by the county or city and vary from under $100 to well over $1,000. They are never included in our $999. We tell you when a fee is due, where to pay it, and how much.

Yes. The Site Plan Only product is $199: a permit-ready, professionally drafted site plan delivered as PDF, with one round of jurisdiction-requested revisions included. It is non-certified drafting — not a survey or engineering — so check whether your jurisdiction requires a stamped plan before ordering. It's ideal if you're comfortable filing the application yourself.

Yes. Within 90 days of your site-plan order, email permits@permitcat.com and we'll send you an $800 upgrade link, which brings your total to the same $999 as the Full Permit Service. We'll ask for anything you've already submitted to the jurisdiction so we can pick up where you left off.

Honestly: it depends on your jurisdiction, and we won't pretend otherwise. Some counties approve accessory-structure permits in a week; others take six weeks or more, plus time for corrections. Two other timing factors are outside our control: how quickly your manufacturer delivers engineered plans, and how quickly you complete any owner-only steps.

What we control, we move fast: whenever the ball is in our court — intake received, plans received, a correction request from the county — we act the same or next business day. We don't guarantee turnaround times, because no honest permit service can.

We revise and resubmit at no additional charge until the package complies and the permit is approved. Correction requests are a normal part of permitting, not a reason to panic and not an extra fee.

Occasionally a property genuinely cannot accommodate the structure — an unresolvable setback conflict, a zoning prohibition, an easement running through the only possible location. If that happens, we document why and refund your fee less a $200 compliance-research fee, which covers the jurisdiction research that found the problem. You can often still proceed by changing the building size or location, or by pursuing a variance (a separate, out-of-scope process we can quote).

Anything beyond the Full Permit Service scope — variance applications, HOA/CC&R submittals, easement research, environmental review, coordinating an engineer or surveyor, a second structure on the same permit, rework caused by inaccurate information we were given — is billed at $150 per hour. We always quote it first and only start after you approve it in writing. No surprise invoices.

Yes. PermitCat serves all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Because we work remotely from county records and your information, location doesn't change the price or the process. Every jurisdiction has its own quirks; researching them is what you're paying us for.