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We can also match you with licensed general contractors and trades to carry out the work, verified the same way. Available in selected categories and cities.
Yes. Posting, receiving quotes, comparing, hiring, messaging and payment protection all cost you nothing. No subscription, no posting fee, no commission from your budget. We earn from the professional side. The price a professional quotes you is the price you pay.
Before anyone can quote, we check their license is real, current and in good standing with the body that issued it — Professional Engineers Ontario for a P.Eng, the Ministry for a BCIN designer, the OAA for an architect, and the equivalent regulator for every other category. We confirm business identity and insurance where required. Licences are re-checked on an ongoing basis, and anyone whose standing lapses is suspended from quoting.
You and your professional agree milestones — site measure, draft drawings, permit submission. You fund one before that stage starts. Your money is then held safely by a regulated, Canada-registered payment provider, kept separate from our business. Your professional can see it is funded but cannot touch it. When you approve the work, it is released. You never pay the whole project up front, and your money is never held in Permit.ca's own accounts.
If you are not satisfied with a milestone, you do not approve it and the funds stay held. You raise a dispute and our team steps in with the full record — every message, file and version. Because it is all logged in one place, there is no argument about who said what. Most issues are a misunderstanding about scope. Where they are not, we work through our dispute process before any funds move.
Most projects receive quotes quickly, because your project is pushed to matching verified professionals as soon as you post rather than waiting for someone to find you. Speed depends on your city, project type and how much detail you give — a clear description with photos gets a faster response than a one-line post. We will not promise a fixed number of hours, because that is not something anyone can honestly guarantee.
Permit.ca is built for homeowners, contractors, renovators, developers and other project owners who need to connect with qualified building professionals.
Yes. Post as many as you need from one account and see them side by side — which permits are moving, which are waiting on a consultant, which need something from you. Each keeps its own messages, documents and milestone payments, so nothing gets mixed up between jobs. You can also rehire professionals who did good work rather than starting a fresh search.
In selected categories and cities, yes. Our core focus is the permit and design professionals who get your project approved, but once drawings and permit are in place we can also match you with licensed general contractors and trades, verified the same way. Note that payment protection applies to permit and design work booked through Permit.ca — it does not cover construction work you arrange with a matched contractor. Ask us about your project and city and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Permit.ca can help you post and manage multiple projects through the platform, connect with relevant building professionals, compare quotes, and keep project communication and files organized in one place. For larger or multi-site requirements, contact us to discuss the scope and available support.
As a rule, you need one whenever you change the structure, change what a space is used for, or add or alter plumbing, heating or electrical. Basement suites, additions, laneway and garden suites, removing a load-bearing wall, and decks above a certain height all normally require one. Painting, flooring, cabinets and like-for-like fixture swaps normally do not. Rules vary by municipality — if you are unsure, post it and a verified professional will tell you before you spend anything.
Permit.ca costs you nothing. You pay the professional's own fee, quoted directly, with no platform commission on top. Fees vary widely by project type, city and scope — which is exactly why comparing several quotes side by side is worth doing, and why we do not publish an average price we cannot stand behind.
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