TapeAndFloat.com for small builders & GCsPermit and inspection tracking for remodelers
A permit log is one list with a row for every permit on every job: type, number, applied, issued and expiration dates, required inspections and results, fees paid, who is responsible and when the final passed. It shows which permits are about to expire and which jobs are not closed out.
Free download: Permit & inspection log (Excel). A Permits sheet with one row per permit per job, an Inspections sheet with one row per inspection, and Settings you edit. It flags permits expired or expiring soon, rows with no permit number, applications not issued yet, cards not posted, fees unpaid, work done with the final not passed, inspections not requested by your lead time, failed or partial inspections with no re-inspection date, and results not logged. No email required.
1. One row per permit per job
A remodel can carry several permits: building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical. Give each its own row with the job or address, permit type, permit number, the date you applied, the date it was issued and the expiration date printed on the permit. Add who is responsible for it: you, the office, or the sub who pulled it. One log for every job shows what is open across the company, not just on the job you are standing on.
2. Your local permit office sets its own rules
Expiration, extensions, which inspections are required, how to request them and how a permit is closed out all depend on your local permit office, and they differ from place to place. This guide does not list any city's or state's rules. Copy dates and required inspections from the permit and the office's own instructions, and put your own warning and lead times in the log's Settings.
3. Track the dates that cause trouble
- Applied but not issued: a job waiting on a permit is a job that cannot start. Flag applications that have waited longer than you expect.
- Expiration: warn yourself a set number of days before a permit expires, so you can get the next inspection or ask the office about an extension in time.
- Final / closeout: log the date the final passed or the certificate of occupancy was issued. A permit is not done until that date is written down.
4. List the required inspections on the job
Give each required inspection its own row: job, permit number, inspection name, the date you need it, whether it is requested and when, the inspection date, the result (pass, fail or partial) and any re-inspection date. Use the same permit number as on the permit row so every inspection ties back to a permit. For planning crews around inspections, see scheduling subs and inspections without a PM app.
5. Close the loop on failed inspections
A failed or partial inspection holds up everything after it. Write down what needs correcting, tell the sub responsible, and put a re-inspection date on the row right away. A failed inspection with no re-inspection date is the row to chase first.
6. Post the card, pay the fees, keep the paperwork
Mark when the permit card is posted on site, what fees are owed and whether they are paid. Keep the permit, inspection results and final approval with the job file. Clients, lenders and future buyers may ask for them, and a closed permit is part of a clean handover alongside the punch list and warranty callbacks.
7. A weekly permit review
- Permits expired or expiring within your warning window.
- Applications not issued yet, and rows with no permit number.
- Inspections coming up that are not requested by your lead time.
- Failed or partial inspections with no re-inspection date, and inspections with no result logged.
- Jobs where the work is done but the final has not passed.
- Fees still unpaid.
This is general information about running an office, not legal or code advice. Follow your local permit office's rules.
Where an assistant helps
Permit emails, inspection results and texts from subs arrive in different places. During the pilot, TapeAndFloat sets this up one piece at a time from what you forward, in your own Google Sheet, with deadline flags: permit expiring, inspection not requested, failed with no re-inspection, final not closed. We draft the reminders; you approve before anything goes out, and a real person reviews everything.
Free 60-day pilot: keep working in your own email and Google Sheet. Request a pilot spot.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a permit log?
One list with a row for every permit on every job: type, number, applied, issued and expiration dates, required inspections and results, fees, who is responsible and the date the final passed.
How do I know when a permit expires?
Use the expiration date on the permit or from your local permit office, which sets its own rules for expiration and extensions. Write it on the row and set how many days ahead you want a warning.
What should I do after a failed inspection?
Write down what needs correcting, tell the sub responsible, and put a re-inspection date on the row right away, because the work after it is waiting.
Do I need permit software to track permits?
No. A small remodeler can track permits and inspections in one spreadsheet if someone keeps it current; keeping it current and flagging deadlines is what TapeAndFloat sets up during the pilot.
Want this tracked for you? Join the free pilot.