Which side of the counter are you buying for: the applicant, the designer, or the jurisdiction?

Why it matters: PermitFlow sells to the people filing permits: contractors, home builders, developers and architects. GreenLite serves builders and developers and also sells plan review support to building departments. CivCheck and CodeComply.AI's AI Precheck and AI Plan Review are sold to cities; CodeComply.AI also sells AI Compliance & Design to AEC professionals. UpCodes is a code research library with an AI Copilot, aimed mainly at architects and designers. Tip: Write down who pays, who uses the tool day to day, and who receives its output before the first demo.

Are you buying software, AI agents, or a service with experts in the loop?

Why it matters: PermitFlow describes five AI agents (intake, research, submission, coordination, issuance). GreenLite describes an expert-led service in which its engineers, architects and code officers use its AI (LiteTable for plan reviews, Atlas for status visibility). CivCheck and CodeComply.AI describe software that reviewers and applicants use themselves. UpCodes Copilot is a research assistant that answers code questions. Tip: Ask the vendor to name which steps a person does, on their side and on yours, once the pilot starts.

Which codes, editions and local amendments are loaded, and who keeps them current?

Why it matters: CodeComply.AI lists ICC, NFPA, ADA, FHA and local amendments. CivCheck lists zoning, building, fire, accessibility, plumbing and structural prescreening and says its team works with cities to add code changes. PermitFlow says its Research Agent searches its permit database and AHJ portals for requirements, fees and timelines. Tip: Name your jurisdiction and its adopted code editions, then ask when its latest local amendment was loaded and how long a new one takes.

Would it have caught the comments your city actually wrote?

Why it matters: None of the vendor pages we read publishes how many real reviewer comments its checks catch or miss; speed figures are about approvals, not review recall. This is the test we would run first. Tip: Bring a past permit set with its city correction letter and count the comments the tool flags, misses and adds that the city did not raise.

Can a reviewer or architect trace each finding to a code section and a sheet?

Why it matters: CodeComply.AI describes plain-language explanations with suggested fixes, VersionVue revision comparison, Plan Chat and audit-ready records. UpCodes says Copilot surfaces related codes, diagrams or assemblies with its answers. A finding nobody can trace still has to be researched by hand. Tip: Open one flagged issue live and ask to see the exact code section, edition and drawing location it rests on.

Will the jurisdiction accept the output, and through which channel?

Why it matters: GreenLite describes Private Plan Review, where certified experts review and stamp plans before submission in jurisdictions that allow it, and pre-submission compliance reviews where it is not allowed. CodeComply.AI says it is the official plan review tool inside CivicPlus and is endorsed by TXShare for Texas cities and counties. CivCheck says it is now a Clariti company. Tip: Ask which jurisdictions accept the vendor's output today, whether yours allows private plan review, and which permitting system it plugs into.

What are the speed and ROI figures based on?

Why it matters: PermitFlow claims 2.5x faster permit approvals, 5x ROI and a 90% cut in administrative workload. GreenLite cites permitting in 21-45 days against a 90-120+ day average. CodeComply.AI's headline is permits in days, not months. These are vendor claims; none of the pages we read gives the method, sample or baseline. Tip: Ask for the permit types, jurisdictions, project count and baseline behind each figure, and compare it with your own submittal-to-issuance times.

How is it priced, and who pays: you, the applicant, or the city?

Why it matters: CivCheck's FAQ says the platform is free to city partners and applicants pay a small prescreening fee on top of city permit fees (amount not listed). PermitFlow and CodeComply.AI route to demos, GreenLite offers a free permit consultation, and UpCodes names Essentials, Professional and Enterprise plans with a free trial, though its prices did not render for us. None of the five lists a dollar price we could read. Tip: Ask whether pricing is per permit, per project, per seat or a subscription, and whether AHJ fees are passed through or marked up.

What happens to your drawings and applicant data?

Why it matters: PermitFlow says it is SOC 2 certified, CodeComply.AI says it has completed a SOC 2 audit, and GreenLite links a Trust Center. Permit sets can include owner, security and life-safety details. Tip: Ask for the SOC 2 report, how long submitted plans are retained, and whether your drawings are used to train models.

Home / Guides / Questions to ask before a permitting, plan review or code compliance AI pilot

Questions to ask before a permitting, plan review or code compliance AI pilot

A checklist for a first conversation with a permitting, plan review or code compliance AI vendor. These are our suggestions, drawn from our design and engineering category, our permitting and plan review roundup and compares. They are not findings: Means & Methods Lab has not tested any tool. Where a question mentions a vendor, it points to something that vendor publishes on its own pages (read Oct 15-17, 2026).

SUGGESTIONS, NOT FINDINGS. No tool has been tested by Means & Methods Lab. Vendor facts are desk research from vendor websites and are not verified. Updated 2026-10-17.

The questions (9)

Q01Which side of the counter are you buying for: the applicant, the designer, or the jurisdiction?
WHY IT MATTERS · PermitFlow sells to the people filing permits: contractors, home builders, developers and architects. GreenLite serves builders and developers and also sells plan review support to building departments. CivCheck and CodeComply.AI's AI Precheck and AI Plan Review are sold to cities; CodeComply.AI also sells AI Compliance & Design to AEC professionals. UpCodes is a code research library with an AI Copilot, aimed mainly at architects and designers.
WHAT TO ASK · Write down who pays, who uses the tool day to day, and who receives its output before the first demo.
Q02Are you buying software, AI agents, or a service with experts in the loop?
WHY IT MATTERS · PermitFlow describes five AI agents (intake, research, submission, coordination, issuance). GreenLite describes an expert-led service in which its engineers, architects and code officers use its AI (LiteTable for plan reviews, Atlas for status visibility). CivCheck and CodeComply.AI describe software that reviewers and applicants use themselves. UpCodes Copilot is a research assistant that answers code questions.
WHAT TO ASK · Ask the vendor to name which steps a person does, on their side and on yours, once the pilot starts.
Q03Which codes, editions and local amendments are loaded, and who keeps them current?
WHY IT MATTERS · CodeComply.AI lists ICC, NFPA, ADA, FHA and local amendments. CivCheck lists zoning, building, fire, accessibility, plumbing and structural prescreening and says its team works with cities to add code changes. PermitFlow says its Research Agent searches its permit database and AHJ portals for requirements, fees and timelines.
WHAT TO ASK · Name your jurisdiction and its adopted code editions, then ask when its latest local amendment was loaded and how long a new one takes.
Q04Would it have caught the comments your city actually wrote?
WHY IT MATTERS · None of the vendor pages we read publishes how many real reviewer comments its checks catch or miss; speed figures are about approvals, not review recall. This is the test we would run first.
WHAT TO ASK · Bring a past permit set with its city correction letter and count the comments the tool flags, misses and adds that the city did not raise.
Q05Can a reviewer or architect trace each finding to a code section and a sheet?
WHY IT MATTERS · CodeComply.AI describes plain-language explanations with suggested fixes, VersionVue revision comparison, Plan Chat and audit-ready records. UpCodes says Copilot surfaces related codes, diagrams or assemblies with its answers. A finding nobody can trace still has to be researched by hand.
WHAT TO ASK · Open one flagged issue live and ask to see the exact code section, edition and drawing location it rests on.
Q06Will the jurisdiction accept the output, and through which channel?
WHY IT MATTERS · GreenLite describes Private Plan Review, where certified experts review and stamp plans before submission in jurisdictions that allow it, and pre-submission compliance reviews where it is not allowed. CodeComply.AI says it is the official plan review tool inside CivicPlus and is endorsed by TXShare for Texas cities and counties. CivCheck says it is now a Clariti company.
WHAT TO ASK · Ask which jurisdictions accept the vendor's output today, whether yours allows private plan review, and which permitting system it plugs into.
Q07What are the speed and ROI figures based on?
WHY IT MATTERS · PermitFlow claims 2.5x faster permit approvals, 5x ROI and a 90% cut in administrative workload. GreenLite cites permitting in 21-45 days against a 90-120+ day average. CodeComply.AI's headline is permits in days, not months. These are vendor claims; none of the pages we read gives the method, sample or baseline.
WHAT TO ASK · Ask for the permit types, jurisdictions, project count and baseline behind each figure, and compare it with your own submittal-to-issuance times.
Q08How is it priced, and who pays: you, the applicant, or the city?
WHY IT MATTERS · CivCheck's FAQ says the platform is free to city partners and applicants pay a small prescreening fee on top of city permit fees (amount not listed). PermitFlow and CodeComply.AI route to demos, GreenLite offers a free permit consultation, and UpCodes names Essentials, Professional and Enterprise plans with a free trial, though its prices did not render for us. None of the five lists a dollar price we could read.
WHAT TO ASK · Ask whether pricing is per permit, per project, per seat or a subscription, and whether AHJ fees are passed through or marked up.
Q09What happens to your drawings and applicant data?
WHY IT MATTERS · PermitFlow says it is SOC 2 certified, CodeComply.AI says it has completed a SOC 2 audit, and GreenLite links a Trust Center. Permit sets can include owner, security and life-safety details.
WHAT TO ASK · Ask for the SOC 2 report, how long submitted plans are retained, and whether your drawings are used to train models.

Bring to the demo

One past permit set with its city correction letter (and the resubmittal, if there was one).
Your jurisdiction's adopted code editions and local amendments, or the AHJ's plan review checklist.
A list of permit types and yearly volume by jurisdiction, so pricing can be quoted on your real mix.
Your own submittal-to-issuance times on recent permits, as the baseline for any speed claim.
An IT or security contact and your data-handling terms for drawings.

Sources

PermitFlow https://www.permitflow.com
GreenLite https://greenlite.com
CivCheck homepage and FAQ https://www.civcheck.ai
CodeComply.AI https://codecomply.ai
UpCodes Copilot https://up.codes/copilot
UpCodes pricing https://up.codes/pricing

Tools mentioned (alphabetical, not ranked)

CivCheck · AI permit prescreening for cities
CodeComply.AI · AI code compliance & plan review
GreenLite · AI permitting & plan review
PermitFlow · AI permitting, inspections & closeout
UpCodes · Building code research & Copilot

Side-by-side comparisons

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