ArchPermit
Every package ships as Draft, pending licensed review

Know exactly what your ADU permit needs.

ArchPermit does the permit research and the package preparation. Give it an address and it resolves which authority issues the permit, builds a checklist where every requirement links a government source, reads your documents, and assembles a draft package. The draft is not submittable: a building department needs a licensed architect's seal, and ArchPermit isn't one. It writes the reviewer brief and points you at the freelance networks where you engage that architect directly.

Quick answer

ArchPermit is software that prepares DRAFT ADU (accessory dwelling unit) permit packages for all 50 U.S. states and DC. Give it a project address and it resolves which authority issues the permit, builds a requirements checklist where every item links a government source and a last-reviewed date, reads your uploaded documents to check items off, and assembles a watermarked draft package. It is free for your first project and $39 per month (or $390 per year) for unlimited projects. ArchPermit is not a licensed architect: a package is NOT submittable to a building department until an independent licensed architect reviews and seals it. ArchPermit does not employ, provide, price, or collect payment for that review. It generates a reviewer brief and links you to freelance architect networks, where you engage and pay the architect directly.

Start a project →Browse permit requirements

No account needed. See the cited checklist for your state or city first.

All 50 statesADUs & additionsGovernment-sourcedAudit trail
Backyard ADU
200 E Santa Clara St · San José, CA
jurisdiction resolved
A-2 Site Plan (to scale)
Title 24 Energy (CF1R)
Geotechnical / Soils Reportfrom document
Water Company Flow Letter
Draft, pending licensed review
Nothing here is permit-ready until a licensed architect signs off.

How it works

1

Describe the project

Tell ArchPermit about the project in plain language, or just paste the address. No forms to decode.

2

ArchPermit resolves the jurisdiction

It works out the Authority Having Jurisdiction and builds a cited requirements checklist from government sources.

3

Work the checklist

Upload what you have. ArchPermit reads each document, pulls the facts, and checks items off against the list.

4

Take it to a licensed architect

ArchPermit writes the reviewer brief (scope, required license, deliverables, and the items to verify) and links you to freelance architect networks. You engage and pay that architect directly; ArchPermit never sets or collects the fee, and has no architect on staff.

Grounded in cited sources, honest about the gap.

Most tools guess. ArchPermit grounds every requirement in a cited source, says so when it isn't sure, and never lets unreviewed work look permit-ready.

Grounded, not guessed

Every requirement carries a source citation and a last-reviewed date. If a source is contradictory, ArchPermit flags it for a human instead of pretending.

Document intelligence

Upload a survey, title report, or soils report and ArchPermit reads it, extracting the parcel, lot, zoning and foundation facts, then linking them to the right checklist items.

The licensed-review gate

Nothing is permit-ready without an independent licensed-architect sign-off. Every package stays watermarked Draft until then, and you can never seal your own project. The rule is enforced in code, and paying for Pro does not lift it.

Honest about uncertainty

Fail-closed by design. An address it can't place, a service outage, or low confidence means ArchPermit says so plainly. It never fabricates a requirement or a fact.

Full audit trail

Every resolution, status change, document read and review decision is recorded. You always know what ArchPermit did and why.

Multi-tenant from day one

Every record is isolated by tenant. Built so the second firm (and the hundredth) is as safe as the first.

Common questions

What does ArchPermit actually do?
It does four things: resolves the Authority Having Jurisdiction for a project address, builds a source-cited ADU requirements checklist for that jurisdiction (each item carries a government source link and a last-reviewed date), reads uploaded documents such as surveys, title reports and soils reports to extract permit-relevant facts and check items off, and assembles those into a draft package PDF. It also generates a reviewer brief you can take to a licensed architect.
Is an ArchPermit package ready to submit to my building department?
No. Every package ArchPermit produces is watermarked "Draft, pending licensed review" and is not submittable as-is. A building department submittal generally requires a licensed professional's seal, applied under responsible control. That seal has to come from an independent licensed architect who reviews the set. Until that happens, treat an ArchPermit package as thorough preparation, not as a finished permit application.
Does ArchPermit provide the licensed architect?
No. ArchPermit does not hold a license, does not employ architects, and does not provide, price, or collect payment for architect review. What it does is generate a reviewer brief (scope, the license required, the deliverables, and the specific items a reviewer should verify) and link you to freelance architect networks where you can find a reviewer. You engage and pay that architect directly, at a fee they set. ArchPermit never takes a cut. As of today ArchPermit has no licensed architect on staff or under contract, so sourcing the reviewer is your step, not ours.
How much does ArchPermit cost?
Preparing one ADU project is free: jurisdiction resolution, the full source-cited checklist, AI chat intake, a watermarked draft package PDF, and the audit trail. Pro is $39 per month or $390 per year, and is the only paid ArchPermit plan. Pro adds unlimited projects, AI document intelligence, one-click package generation and export, and priority reviewer-brief sourcing. The licensed architect's review fee is separate, is set by that architect, and is paid to them directly.
Which states and cities does ArchPermit cover?
Source-cited ADU permit requirements for all 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, with deeper city-specific checklists for a growing set of cities including San Diego, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis, San Francisco, San José, Atlanta, Portland and Houston. Every requirement carries a citation to a government source and the date it was last reviewed. Requirements that vary locally are flagged to confirm with the permitting authority.
Do I need a permit to build an ADU?
Yes. An accessory dwelling unit is habitable space, and building one requires a building permit from the local authority that issues permits for the property, plus zoning or planning review in most jurisdictions. Several states also have a statewide ADU law that sets baseline standards local agencies must follow. ArchPermit's per-state and per-city guides list the cited requirements for each, and are free to read without an account.

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Early access in progress · Nationwide

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