About Permitpedia

Permitpedia is an independent project based in Phoenix, Arizona, started by a family in the trades. It began with one permit coordinator at an electrical contractor who was tired of relearning every city's rules and keeping them in her head. We are not a city, a government agency or a permit expediter, and we do not file permits for anyone.

Where the information comes from

• Contractors. People who pull permits write the steps and correct them. Each section shows which company wrote it and when.
• City records. Some cities publish their permit records as open data. The "by the numbers" tables are calculated straight from those records, with a link to the source.
• AI drafts. To give each city a starting point, some steps were written by AI from the city's own website. They are marked AI draft with a link to the page they came from, and they stay marked until a contractor edits them.

None of it is official. Always confirm fees and requirements with the city before you file.

What is public and what is private

• Public: the city's own rules. Where to apply, which permit to pick, fees, forms, inspections, phone numbers. These are the same for every contractor, so they belong to everyone.
• Private: your company's own steps. Your contacts, your payment method, your software, your notes. Only people in your company can see them. No other company can, and we never publish them.
• When the public steps change, your saved process does not change with them. We show you the change and you decide whether to take it.

How changes are checked

Anyone can add a step. Changing or removing a step another company wrote needs two other verified companies to agree before it goes live. Your own company can always edit what it wrote.

Is it free?

Reading Permitpedia is free and always will be. The company tools (saved processes, printing, team logins) are free during early access. If we ever charge for them, you will get at least 30 days' notice, and you can always print or download what you have.

Questions, corrections or ideas: contact us.