RapidPermit Systems vs Permit expediter
A person who walks your permit through the building department, billed per job.
RapidPermit Systems
$49 – $299 / month
Flat, per company. 7-day trial.
Permit expediter
~$56/hr, or 3–8% of project cost
Service
An expediter is a service; RapidPermit is a tool. The expediter's value is their relationship with a specific building department. The trade-off is that you pay again on every single job, and the paperwork still starts with you handing over your license, insurance and scope details each time.
For routine residential work — re-roofs, changeouts, window replacements, service upgrades — the application itself is not the hard part. Knowing exactly which forms that jurisdiction wants, and having them filled correctly the first time, is. That is what the software does in under a minute.
Side by side
| RapidPermit Systems | Permit expediter | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per permit | Included in the monthly plan | Billed per permit, hourly or as a % of project cost |
| Turnaround on paperwork | Under 60 seconds, any hour | Business hours, depends on their queue |
| Scales with job volume | Cost stays flat as you file more | Cost rises with every job |
| Local relationships | None — you file it yourself | Yes, that's the main thing you're buying |
| Works after hours | Yes | No |
| OSHA forms and proposals | Included | Not their scope |
When Permit expediter is the better call
Complex commercial work, a variance fight, or a jurisdiction where somebody has to physically stand at the counter and negotiate.
Bottom line
If you file more than one or two permits a year, the software costs less than a single expediter engagement. Keep an expediter on retainer for the genuinely unusual jobs.
Common questions
- Does RapidPermit file the permit for me?
- The standard plans generate the complete, jurisdiction-correct packet — you submit it to the building department. Concierge filing is available separately when you'd rather hand the whole thing off.
- What if my county rejects something?
- The packet is built from that jurisdiction's document requirements, and you can regenerate a corrected version in seconds at no extra cost.
Want the checklist for your county first?
We'll email the exact documents a residential permit application has to include where you work.
No account required. One email, unsubscribe any time.