Terms of Service

1. Who we are and what these Terms cover

PermitCat ("PermitCat," "we," "us") provides remote permit-expediting and drafting services for metal carports, garages, sheds and similar accessory structures in the United States. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern every purchase made through permitcat.com or go.permitcat.com and every service we perform for you ("you," the "Customer"). By placing an order you agree to these Terms.

PermitCat is not a law firm, engineering firm, land surveyor, architect or licensed contractor, and nothing we provide is legal, engineering or surveying advice.

2. Services and fees

2.1 Full Permit Service — $999 flat

The Full Permit Service includes, for one structure on one property: (a) jurisdiction permit research; (b) preparation of a professional, non-certified site plan; (c) completion of the jurisdiction's permit application forms; (d) submission of the application package to the jurisdiction; (e) liaison with the jurisdiction regarding the application; and (f) preparation and resubmission of corrections requested by the jurisdiction until the application is approved or the matter is resolved under Section 10.

2.2 Site Plan Only — $199 flat

The Site Plan Only product includes preparation of a non-certified, permit-ready site plan for one structure on one property, delivered in PDF format, plus one (1) round of revisions requested by the jurisdiction. Additional terms specific to this product are in Section 14.

2.3 When the fee is earned

Fees are earned upon completion of the applicable scope of services described above, subject to the remedies in Section 10 and the abandonment provisions in Section 11. Completion of the Full Permit Service occurs when the jurisdiction approves or issues the permit, or when the file is closed under Section 10 or 11. Completion of the Site Plan Only product occurs upon delivery of the site plan PDF.

3. Payment

All fees are payable in full, in U.S. dollars, at the time of order. Payments are processed by Stripe; PermitCat does not store your full payment card details. Prices are as stated on our website at the time of purchase and may change for future orders without notice.

4. Your responsibilities

Our ability to perform depends on your cooperation. You agree to, promptly and accurately:

1. provide the property address, your building order or quote, and any other information we request at intake;
2. forward to us, via the upload link we provide, the engineered or stamped building drawings supplied to you by your building manufacturer, as soon as you receive them;
3. create and maintain any online permit-portal account the jurisdiction requires to be held by the property owner, and provide us access or perform the steps we describe;
4. sign applications, owner authorizations, affidavits and similar documents when the jurisdiction requires the owner's signature;
5. pay all jurisdiction fees (Section 6) directly to the jurisdiction when due;
6. respond to our requests for information, decisions or action within a reasonable time; and
7. inform us promptly of any communication you receive directly from the jurisdiction about the application.

Our obligations pause while we are waiting on you. Any time during which we are waiting for information, documents, signatures, fee payments, portal access or other action from you, or for engineered drawings from your manufacturer, does not count against us and is not a breach of these Terms.

5. Reliance on your information

We rely on the information, documents and instructions you provide, together with publicly available parcel, GIS and aerial data, without independent verification. You are responsible for the accuracy of what you give us, including the property address, ownership, the proposed location of the structure on the lot, and the building specifications. Rework, revisions or resubmissions made necessary by inaccurate, incomplete or changed information from you (for example, a different building size, a moved location, or a wrong parcel) are outside the flat fee and are billable at $150 per hour under Section 7.

6. What is not included

Unless expressly stated in a written quote that you approve, the following are not included in either product:

• physical site visits, inspections, measurements or staking of any kind — all services are performed remotely;
• jurisdiction fees of any kind, including permit fees, plan-review fees, inspection fees, re-inspection fees, impact fees and special inspections, all of which you pay directly to the jurisdiction;
• engineered, stamped or sealed building drawings and calculations, which are provided by your building manufacturer directly to you;
• homeowners' association (HOA), architectural-review or CC&R approvals and submittals;
• variance, conditional-use, special-exception or rezoning applications;
• easement research, easement releases or encroachment agreements;
• environmental, wetland, floodplain, critical-area, stormwater or septic review and reports;
• any work that must be performed by a licensed engineer, land surveyor, architect or other licensed professional, including surveys and stamped site plans;
• construction, installation, inspection scheduling attendance, or closing out the permit after approval.

7. Out-of-scope work

Work outside the scope described in Section 2 is available at $150 per hour. We will provide a written quote or estimate, and we will not begin out-of-scope work until you approve it in writing (email or text is sufficient). Approved out-of-scope work is invoiced separately and payable upon receipt.

8. One structure, one property

Each fee covers one (1) structure on one (1) property under one (1) permit application. Additional structures, additional properties, or a jurisdiction requirement for separate permits (for example, a separate electrical or grading permit) require a separate order or an approved out-of-scope quote.

9. No guarantee of approval or timeline

Permit decisions and review timelines are controlled entirely by the jurisdiction. We do not guarantee that any permit will be approved, that it will be approved within any particular time, or that the jurisdiction will not request corrections. Any timeframe we mention is an estimate only. We commit to acting promptly whenever action is within our control.

10. Denials, non-compliant sites and refunds

10.1 Denial or correction request

If the jurisdiction denies the application or requests corrections, we will revise and resubmit the application at no additional charge, as many times as needed, until it complies with the jurisdiction's requirements and is approved — provided the denial or correction is not caused by inaccurate or changed information from you (Section 5) or by a matter listed in Section 6.

10.2 Site cannot comply

If, after our research or a jurisdiction determination, the proposed structure cannot be permitted on your property as ordered because of an unresolvable setback, zoning, lot-coverage, easement or similar site conflict, we will document the conflict and refund the Full Permit Service fee less a $200 compliance-research fee. Alternatively, you may choose to modify the structure or its location, or pursue a variance or other out-of-scope remedy under Section 7, and keep your file open.

10.3 No other refunds

Except as stated in this Section 10, fees are non-refundable once work has begun. Cancellation before any work has begun (typically within 24 hours of purchase and before intake is submitted) will be refunded in full less any payment-processing costs we cannot recover.

11. Unresponsive files (abandonment)

If you do not respond to our documented requests for information, documents, signatures, fee payments or other action for ninety (90) consecutive days, we may close your file. We will send reminders before closing. When a file is closed for non-response, the fee is earned in full and no refund is due. If you would like to resume after your file has been closed, contact us and we will discuss how to pick the work back up; we may need to re-verify jurisdiction requirements if they have changed.

12. Authorization to act as your agent

By ordering the Full Permit Service you authorize PermitCat to act as your agent and authorized representative for the limited purpose of preparing, submitting, tracking and corresponding about your permit application with the jurisdiction, including signing applications and correspondence as your authorized agent where the jurisdiction permits, and receiving notices, comments and decisions on your behalf. You agree to sign any separate owner-authorization or agent form the jurisdiction requires. This authorization ends when your file is completed or closed, or upon your written revocation.

13. Chargebacks and disputes

If you have a concern about our services or a charge, contact us first at permits@permitcat.com — almost every issue can be resolved directly. You agree not to initiate a chargeback or payment dispute without first giving us a reasonable opportunity (at least ten business days) to resolve the matter. In any dispute, our records of communications, research, drafts, submitted documents and jurisdiction correspondence are evidence of the work performed, and fees earned under these Terms remain owed.

14. Site Plan Only product

The site plan we prepare is a non-certified drafting product created from information you provide and publicly available parcel, GIS and aerial data. It is not a boundary survey, a topographic survey, an engineered drawing or a legal description, and it bears no professional stamp or seal. You are responsible for confirming whether your jurisdiction will accept a non-certified site plan before ordering. One (1) round of revisions requested in writing by the jurisdiction is included; revisions you request after delivery for other reasons, and additional revision rounds, are billable at $150 per hour under Section 7. The Site Plan Only fee is earned upon delivery of the PDF. Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 15, 16 and 17 apply to the Site Plan Only product.

15. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, PermitCat's total liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to our services or these Terms, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, is limited to the fees you actually paid to PermitCat for the service giving rise to the claim. In no event will PermitCat be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special or punitive damages, including lost profits, construction delays, demolition or relocation costs, jurisdiction fines or penalties, or the cost of structures purchased or installed. We are not responsible for acts, omissions, delays or decisions of any jurisdiction, manufacturer, contractor or other third party.

16. Governing law and venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or our services will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Clark County, Washington, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts. Small-claims matters may be brought in the small-claims court of Clark County, Washington.

17. General

• Entire agreement. These Terms, together with your order confirmation and any written out-of-scope quote you approve, are the entire agreement between you and PermitCat and supersede any prior discussions.
• Changes. We may update these Terms for future orders by posting a revised version at permitcat.com/terms.html. The version in effect when you order governs your order.
• Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect.
• No waiver. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.
• Assignment. You may not assign your order without our written consent. We may use contractors to assist in performing services and remain responsible to you.
• Notices. Notices to PermitCat go to permits@permitcat.com. Notices to you go to the email address and mobile number you provide at checkout; you consent to receive service-related email and SMS messages about your order (reply STOP to opt out of SMS at any time).
• Contact. PermitCat · permits@permitcat.com · (855) 557-4994