Permits and Inspections: What OwnerDraw Actually Tracks

Where the permit number, permit documents, inspection reports and dates live — and why OwnerDraw never applies, approves or reminds.

Help Center location: `/help/permits/permits-inspections-guide` — category **Permits & Inspections**.
Stored unpublished for administrator review. Editable source: `docs/help/permits-inspections-guide.md`.

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Read this first

**OwnerDraw is not connected to your building department.** Nothing in the app applies for a permit,
renews one, schedules an inspection, or tells you an inspection passed. Every application, fee,
call, and inspection request happens with your local authority, by you.

What OwnerDraw gives you is a place to *keep the record*: the permit number, the permit and
inspection paperwork, the steps and dates around them, and the checks you run before an inspector
arrives.

There is also no permit reminder in OwnerDraw. No email, no push notification, and no expiry alert
is ever sent about a permit or an inspection. If a permit expires, only your own **To-Do** or
**Schedule** entry will tell you.

Where permit information lives

| What you want to keep | Where it goes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The permit number | Project settings — **Permit Number** | One free-text field per project |
| The permit itself (PDF or photo) | **Files**, category **Permits** | Any number of files |
| Inspection reports, correction notices | **Files**, category **Inspections** | Any number of files |
| Approved plan set used for the permit | **Files**, category **Plans & Drawings** | Or **Takeoff** for measuring |
| Permit application and inspection dates | **Schedule** as tasks | The only place OwnerDraw holds dates |
| "Call the inspector on Tuesday" | **To-Dos** | Your own list, with a due date |
| Pre-inspection quality checks | **QC Checklists** | Pre-work and post-work checks, photos optional |
| The overall stage of permitting | **Build Playbook** steps | "Research local permit requirements", "Review and finalize plans for permit", "Pull building permits", "Understand inspection requirements", "Punch list and final inspections" |

There is **no** Permits page, and no permit record with its own status, issue date, expiry date or
attachment list. If you need several permits — building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, grading —
keep the main number in **Permit Number** and put the rest in **Files** with clear file names such as
`Electrical permit 2026-04-11.pdf`.

Start here

1. Open the project selector in the sidebar and choose **Edit** for the project.
2. Type your permit number into **Permit Number** exactly as the building department issued it.
3. Save the project.
4. Open **Files**, choose the **Permits** category, and upload the permit document.
5. Open **Schedule** and add tasks for the dates that matter: application submitted, permit issued,
each inspection you expect.
6. Add a **To-Do** for anything you must chase, with a **Due Date** — that is your reminder.

Common actions

| I want to | Do this |
|---|---|
| Record or correct the permit number | Project selector → **Edit** → **Permit Number** → save |
| Remove the permit number | Clear the field and save (it stores as empty) |
| Store the permit document | **Files** → **Permits** → upload |
| Store an inspection report | **Files** → **Inspections** → upload |
| Find permit paperwork later | **Files** → filter to **Permits** or **Inspections** |
| Show a banker the permit | **Files** → open the file → share the link (private links expire) |
| Put an inspection on the calendar | **Schedule** → add a task on that date |
| Remind yourself to call the inspector | **To-Dos** → **New To-Do** with a **Due Date** |
| Check work before an inspection | **QC Checklists** → the relevant trade's pre-work or post-work list |
| Mark the permitting stage done | **Build Playbook** → tick **Pull building permits** |

What the words mean here

| Term | In OwnerDraw it means |
|---|---|
| **Permit Number** | Text you typed on the project. The app never validates it or checks it with an authority. |
| **Permits** (in Files) | A label on an uploaded file, nothing more. |
| **Inspections** (in Files) | The same — a label for inspection paperwork you uploaded. |
| A ticked QC check | You confirmed the work yourself. It is not code compliance, not an inspection, and it does not release a payment. |
| A completed Playbook step | Your own note that you got that far. It is not proof a permit was issued. |

Who can see and change what

Permit information follows the project's normal permissions, not a separate permit permission:

  • **You (the project owner)** can edit the permit number and upload or delete files.
  • **Partners** can edit project settings and files where their permission allows.
  • **Bankers** get read-only access to permit and inspection information — they can see it, not change it.
  • **Collaborators** follow their **Documents / Files** permission for files.
  • **Clients** on the private client portal do not have project settings or the **Files** page.

Deleting a file in **Files** is permanent. Keep the original permit PDF somewhere outside OwnerDraw
as well.

What do I do next?

| Situation | Do this |
|---|---|
| Permit not applied for yet | **Build Playbook** → read **Research local permit requirements**, then call your building department |
| Application submitted, waiting | Add a **Schedule** task for the expected issue date and a **To-Do** to chase it |
| Permit just issued | Enter **Permit Number**, upload the PDF to **Files** → **Permits** |
| Inspection coming up | Run the trade's **QC Checklists** pre-work or post-work items first |
| Inspection failed | Upload the correction notice to **Files** → **Inspections**, add a **To-Do** for each fix, then re-book with the authority |
| Permit about to expire | Add a dated **To-Do** — OwnerDraw will not warn you |
| Lender asking for the permit | **Files** → **Permits**; the lender packet on **Bank Ready** does not pull permits in automatically |

Common questions

**Can I apply for a permit through OwnerDraw?**
No. Applications go to your local authority, in whatever way they accept them.

**Will OwnerDraw tell me when my permit expires or when an inspection is due?**
No. There is no permit or inspection reminder anywhere in the app. Use **To-Dos** with due dates, or
**Schedule**.

**Can I record several permits with their own statuses and dates?**
Not as records. There is one **Permit Number** field per project. Use **Files** for the rest, and
name files so the type and date are obvious.

**Does ticking a QC checklist mean the inspection passed?**
No. QC checklists are your own quality checks. Only the inspector's result counts, and OwnerDraw
never receives it.

**Does a permit number unlock anything in the app?**
No. It is stored for your records and for anyone with read access to the project.

**Is the permit included in my draw request or lender packet?**
Only if you attach it yourself. Nothing about permits flows into a draw request automatically.

**Builder note.** Because there is no permit register, standardise your file names in the
**Permits** category — trade, permit number, issue date — and put every inspection call-out on
**Schedule**. That gives you a defensible timeline without a permit table.

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Related help

  • **Files** — uploading, categories, private links and deletion
  • **QC Checklists** — pre-work and post-work checks before an inspector arrives
  • **Schedule** — dated tasks and dependencies
  • **To-Dos** — your own reminders with due dates
  • **Your Build Playbook** — the phase and step list, including the permitting steps