About
About ArchPermit
ArchPermit is an AI-native tool for preparing draft ADU permit packages. It is built “grounded, not guessed”: every requirement is cited, uncertainty is surfaced, and nothing is permit-ready until an independent licensed professional seals it.
Quick answer
ArchPermit is software that prepares DRAFT ADU (accessory dwelling unit) permit packages for U.S. residential projects. It resolves the Authority Having Jurisdiction from an address, builds a source-cited requirements checklist covering all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, reads uploaded documents to extract permit-relevant facts, and assembles a watermarked draft package. ArchPermit is not a licensed architect, engineer, or law firm. It does not hold a license, does not employ architects, and does not provide, price, or collect payment for architect review. It connects you to independent freelance licensed reviewers whom you engage and pay directly. Pricing: free for one project, $39 per month or $390 per year for Pro, which is the only paid ArchPermit plan.
- Overview
- ArchPermit is software that prepares draft ADU (accessory dwelling unit) permit packages for U.S. residential projects. It turns a plain project brief into a jurisdiction-specific, source-cited requirements checklist and an assembled draft package, always marked Draft, pending licensed review until an independent licensed architect reviews and seals it. ArchPermit is not a licensed architect, engineer, or law firm, and it does not provide legal or professional engineering advice.
- What ArchPermit does
- ArchPermit resolves the Authority Having Jurisdiction from an address, builds a cited requirements checklist (each item links a government source with a last-reviewed date), reads your uploaded documents to extract permit-relevant facts, and assembles a draft permit package. It then writes a reviewer brief (scope, the license required, the deliverables, and the specific items a reviewer should verify) and links you to freelance architect networks where you can engage an independent licensed architect directly. When a source is contradictory or confidence is low, it fails closed and flags the uncertainty for a human rather than inventing a requirement.
- Pricing
- Free: prepare one ADU package end to end (jurisdiction resolution, cited checklist, AI intake chat, and a draft watermarked PDF) for $0. Pro: $39/month or $390/year for unlimited projects, AI document intelligence, one-click package generation and export, and priority reviewer sourcing. Licensed review & seal: not an ArchPermit fee, and not an ArchPermit service. ArchPermit connects you to independent freelance licensed architects; they set their own fee and you pay them directly. ArchPermit never sets it, collects it, or takes a cut, and does not perform the review itself. Pro is the only paid ArchPermit plan, and paying for it never removes the draft-until-sealed safety gate.
- Who it's for
- Homeowners, designers, builders, and real-estate professionals preparing an ADU permit submittal who want grounded, cited requirements and a clear path to a licensed-architect review, instead of guessing at a jurisdiction's checklist or paying for a full custom engagement before they know what's required.
- Coverage facts
- ArchPermit has grounded, source-cited ADU requirements for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, plus deeper city-specific checklists for a growing set of cities. Every requirement carries a citation to an authoritative source and the date it was last reviewed; items that vary locally are flagged to confirm with the permitting authority. Browse the full set of permit guides.
Common questions
- What is ArchPermit?
- Software that prepares draft ADU permit packages. It resolves the Authority Having Jurisdiction from an address, builds a source-cited requirements checklist for all 50 U.S. states and DC, reads uploaded documents to extract permit-relevant facts, and assembles a watermarked draft package PDF with a full audit trail.
- Is ArchPermit a licensed architecture firm?
- No. ArchPermit does not hold an architecture or engineering license, does not employ architects, and does not provide legal or professional engineering advice. It is production and research software. The licensed work, reviewing a set and applying a seal under responsible control, is done by an independent licensed architect you engage yourself.
- Does ArchPermit charge for the architect review?
- No. ArchPermit does not provide, price, or collect payment for architect review, and takes no cut of it. The reviewer sets their own fee and you pay them directly. The only thing ArchPermit charges for is the software: $0 for one project, or $39 per month / $390 per year for Pro.
- Can I submit an ArchPermit package to my building department?
- Not as it comes out of ArchPermit. Packages are watermarked "Draft, pending licensed review" and are not submittable until an independent licensed architect reviews and seals the set. ArchPermit currently has no licensed architect on staff or under contract, so that step is one you arrange. Treat the package as thorough preparation that shortens the reviewer's job, not as a finished application.
- Where does ArchPermit's requirement data come from?
- Government and authoritative sources. Every requirement carries a citation link and the date it was last reviewed, so you can check the original yourself. Where sources conflict or confidence is low, ArchPermit fails closed: it flags the uncertainty for a human instead of inventing a requirement.
- Who is ArchPermit for?
- Homeowners, designers, builders, and real-estate professionals preparing an ADU permit submittal who want grounded, cited requirements and a clear path to a licensed-architect review, instead of guessing at a jurisdiction's checklist or paying for a full custom engagement before they know what is required.