Why permit tracking falls apart
Most people start out fine. One permit, one project, easy enough to keep in your head or jot down in a notebook. The problem shows up the moment you have more than one thing going at once: three projects, five inspections scheduled across two counties, an expiration date nobody wrote down anywhere. That’s usually when something slips, an expired permit nobody caught, a missed inspection window, or a document nobody can find when a buyer’s attorney asks for it.
Permit Planner is temporarily unavailable while maintenance is in progress. Check its status before using it again. The screenshots in this article show the tool for reference.
What happens depending on how you track permits
| If you’re using… | You’ll eventually run into… |
|---|---|
| Sticky notes | Lost information |
| A notebook | No reminders when something is due |
| A generic spreadsheet | Manual updates, easy to forget |
| A free permit tracker built for this | Everything organized in one place automatically |
What a real permit tracker needs to do
Whatever tool you use, it needs to cover four things. Anything less and you’re just moving the same problem into a different spreadsheet.
- Application status, so you know exactly where each permit stands
- Inspections, organized by trade, since every AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) defines its own inspection stages, there’s no single universal checklist
- Expiration dates, so nothing lapses without you noticing
- Contacts, for your building department, contractors, and team
Who should be tracking their permits
- Homeowners managing a renovation
- General contractors
- Permit coordinators
- Property managers
- Architects and designers
- Small construction companies
When this becomes essential
A single permit for a single project doesn’t usually need a system. These situations do:
- Managing multiple permits at once
- Working across different cities or counties
- Tracking inspections from different trades on the same job
- Coordinating with subcontractors
- Preparing documentation for a property sale
A free construction permit tracker: Permit Planner
I built Permit Planner to bring the moving parts of a permit into one clear, bilingual workspace. Create a quick Draft, identify whether the reviewing jurisdiction is a city or county, select the trades involved, and complete the remaining details as the project moves forward.
- Visual permit progress: follow Draft → Submitted → Plan Review → Issued → Inspections → Closeout.
- Clear next actions: see what needs attention without reading through a long form.
- City or county jurisdiction: record which authority is reviewing the permit.
- Search and filters: find permits by stage, jurisdiction, project, or status.
- Inspection agenda: organize upcoming, unscheduled, passed, and failed inspections by trade.
- Directories and sharing tools: keep jurisdiction and work contacts organized, then export or print when needed.
Want the complete product tour? See Permit Planner in detail →
Prefer a spreadsheet instead?
Some people just want a spreadsheet they can control fully on their own computer, no login required. That’s fair, here’s one built for this specifically:
📥 Download the Permit Tracker
A ready-to-use spreadsheet: statuses, notes, and dates.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best free construction permit tracker?
It depends on what you need. If you want a free web app that handles status, inspections, expiration dates, and contacts automatically, Permit Planner covers all four. If you’d rather work inside a spreadsheet you fully control, the Permit Tracker template does the same job in Excel.
Can I track building permits in Excel?
Yes. A spreadsheet works fine as long as someone updates it consistently. If you’d rather not do that manually, a free tool like Permit Planner keeps everything organized without the upkeep.
How do I track permit expiration dates?
Record the issue date and expiration date for every permit in one place, and check it regularly, weekly if you’re managing several at once. Permit Planner surfaces what’s expiring automatically so you don’t have to remember to check.
Do I need a tracker if I only have one permit?
Probably not. A single, straightforward permit is easy enough to manage with a notebook or a sticky note. A tracker earns its keep once you’re juggling more than one.
Is Permit Planner really free?
Permit Planner is designed as a free tool, with no credit card required. It is temporarily unavailable while maintenance is in progress. Check its maintenance status →
Related guides
📘 Need help with the full permitting process?
How to Get a Construction Permit in Florida
My step-by-step guide for homeowners: how to identify your jurisdiction, what documents to gather, and how to understand the permitting process with more confidence.
