Privacy Policy
Version 2026-09-06
PermitWatch publishes public building-permit records — that publication is governed by the Data Records Policy, not this page. This page instead explains what we process about you, the person visiting the site or using the API: what we collect, why, how long we keep it, and your choices.
Part of Keelhelm. PermitWatch is operated by Keelhelm. This notice adds the PermitWatch-specific detail on top of the company-wide Keelhelm Privacy Policy, which sets our baseline practices and your rights and applies to PermitWatch. Read both together; where they differ for PermitWatch, this notice controls. You can browse every company policy in the Keelhelm policy library.
What we process about you
- Site visits — looking up a property or contractor doesn't require an account and isn't tied to your identity beyond ordinary web request logs and aggregate analytics.
- Account email — if you create an API key, we use your email to verify the account, issue the key, sign you in, and reach you about it.
- Usage records — counts of your lookups and API calls and timestamps, so we can meter your plan and keep the Service reliable.
- Request metadata — IP address and basic request details, kept briefly for rate-limiting and abuse prevention.
- Correction requests — if you submit a correction or opt-out request about a record (see the Data Records Policy), we process the contact and request details you give us to handle it.
- Analytics — aggregate, privacy-preserving usage metrics about the site; we don't build advertising profiles. See the Keelhelm Cookie Policy.
What we don't collect from you
We don't ask visitors to identify themselves to look up a property or contractor, and we don't sell or share your lookup activity.
Why we process it
We process account and usage data to perform our contract with you (to provide the Service), request metadata and analytics under our legitimate interests in security, abuse prevention, and improving the Service, and correction-request data to meet our legal and contractual obligation to act on it.
How long we keep it
Usage records are kept while your account is active and for as long afterward as needed for billing and legal recordkeeping. Request metadata is kept only as long as needed for rate-limiting and abuse prevention, then discarded. Account email is kept until you delete your account. Correction-request records are kept for as long as needed to document that the request was honored. You can ask us to delete your account and associated data at any time — see "Your rights" below.
Sub-processors
We rely on a small number of infrastructure providers to run the Service — for hosting and compute, and (for paid tiers) payment processing. They process data only to provide those services to us and under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection terms.
What we don't do
We don't sell or rent your data. We don't use it for advertising or profiling. We don't add you to a newsletter unless you explicitly opt in.
If you're the subject of a published record
If you (or your business) appear in the permit data PermitWatch publishes — for example, as a property owner or a licensed contractor — and you want to request a correction or suppression, that's handled under the Data Records Policy (Correction and opt-out), not this privacy notice — that record isn't personal data we collected from you, it's a public record we republish from the issuing city.
Your rights as a PermitWatch user (GDPR / CCPA)
These are the same rights described in the Keelhelm Privacy Policy (Your rights), which explains response times and how to complain to a data-protection authority. To exercise any right, email hello (at) keelhelm (dot) com or use the Keelhelm privacy request form.
International transfers
Your data may be processed in the United States and other countries where our providers operate.
Security and children
We protect data with reasonable technical and organizational measures; API keys are stored only as hashes. The Service isn't directed to children under 16, and we don't knowingly collect their data.
Changes
If we make a material change, we'll update the version and date above and, where appropriate, notify you by email.
Keelhelm company privacy policy
PermitWatch is operated by Keelhelm. This notice covers the app specifically; the company-wide Keelhelm Privacy Policy also applies. You can exercise any privacy right for a Keelhelm service through the Keelhelm privacy request form.
Contact
Questions or requests: hello (at) keelhelm (dot) com.