Why contractors should check permits before they bid
Skipping the permit check is the fastest way to underprice a job. Here is how to build permit costs into every bid.
The permit trap
A contractor bids a bathroom remodel at $18,000. The homeowner accepts. Two weeks in, the contractor discovers the scope requires a plumbing permit, an electrical permit, and two inspections. The permit fees alone are $1,200, and the inspection scheduling adds a week to the timeline.
The contractor either eats the cost (killing the margin) or asks the homeowner for a change order (killing the relationship). Neither outcome is good.
Check before you bid
Every jurisdiction publishes its permit requirements, fees, and inspection schedules. The problem is that this information is scattered across municipal websites, building department PDFs, and phone calls to plan check counters.
BidTorch indexes this information by jurisdiction and trade. When you price a bid, you can check whether the scope requires a permit, what the fees are, and what inspections are needed. Always confirm with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), but the check gives you a starting point.
Build it into the price
The best contractors price permits into every bid as a line item. This does three things:
- Protects your margin from surprise costs.
- Shows the homeowner you know what you are doing.
- Sets expectations for the inspection timeline upfront.
A bid that includes permit costs and inspection scheduling is more accurate, more professional, and more likely to result in a smooth project.
On BidTorch you price from the homeowner's photos and scope. If the homeowner books a walkthrough with you after the reveal, you can confirm your bid or revise it once. Pricing permits in from the start keeps that revision small, or unnecessary.