Terms of Service

Version 2026-09-06

These terms govern your use of the PermitWatch website and API (the "Service"). By browsing the site, creating an API key, or calling the API, you agree to these terms.

1. What PermitWatch is

PermitWatch publishes building-permit history for properties in a small set of cities (currently Chicago, Austin, and Seattle) — what permits were filed, for what kind of work, and which licensed contractor business pulled them — for general property-research and due-diligence purposes such as reviewing a property's permit history or checking a contractor's permit record before hiring them. PermitWatch is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated on behalf of the City of Chicago, the City of Austin, the City of Seattle, or any other government body.

2. Preview status and data coverage

PermitWatch is currently in preview: city coverage, permit types, and history depth are deliberately partial while we build out the Service, and a permit's absence from PermitWatch does not mean no permit was filed.

3. Data source, accuracy, and correction

What PermitWatch publishes, where it comes from, how current it is, and how to request a correction or suppression are governed by the Keelhelm Data Records Policy, which is part of these terms — see in particular Public-record basis, Accuracy and data-as-of stamps, and Correction and opt-out. Every permit record names the issuing city's official open-data source and links to it; that official record always controls over our copy.

4. Not a consumer reporting agency

PermitWatch is not a consumer reporting agency, and nothing on it is a consumer report. It reports on permit records tied to a property and to the licensed contractor business that pulled the permit, not on any individual's personal or financial standing, and it must not be used to determine an individual's eligibility for tenancy, employment, credit, insurance, or any other FCRA-regulated purpose. See the full policy, including why this is a conduct commitment and not only a disclaimer, at the Data Records Policy (Not a consumer reporting agency).

5. Acceptable use

Use the Service only for lawful property- and contractor-research purposes, such as reviewing a property's permit history before a purchase or renovation, or checking a contractor's permit record before hiring them. You must not use the Service, or any data obtained from it, to compile a dossier about an individual, to make or support a decision about an individual's eligibility for tenancy, employment, credit, or insurance, or for any other FCRA-regulated purpose. The general conduct rules that apply to every Keelhelm service — what you must not do — are in the company-wide Keelhelm Acceptable Use Policy, which is part of these terms. We may throttle or suspend access that violates this section or threatens the Service or others.

6. API access and attribution

API tiers, request limits, and pricing are described on pricing. If you republish or redistribute PermitWatch data in a product or report, credit "PermitWatch" with a link back to permitwatch.keelhelm.com and preserve the official-source link and "data as of" stamp shown with the record.

7. Intellectual property and DMCA

Ownership of the Service and its software is covered by the Keelhelm Terms of Service (Our intellectual property). Copyright notices and takedowns are governed by the Keelhelm Copyright / DMCA Policy — file through the Keelhelm copyright notice form.

8. Fees and payment

The free tier is free. Paid tiers, when available, are billed in advance each month at the prices shown on pricing. You can cancel anytime; access continues through the period you've paid for. Fees are non-refundable except where required by law.

9. Disclaimer of warranties

These are governed by the Keelhelm Terms of Service (Disclaimers), which apply to PermitWatch — including that no warranty is made as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of a third-party public record; the official city record always controls (Section 3 above).

10. Limitation of liability

Our liability for PermitWatch is governed by the Keelhelm Terms of Service (Limitation of liability), which sets the single liability cap that applies to PermitWatch.

11. Indemnification

This is governed by the Keelhelm Terms of Service (Indemnity), which applies to PermitWatch.

12. Governing law and venue

Governing law and venue are set by the Keelhelm Terms of Service (Governing law and disputes), which applies to PermitWatch.

13. Changes to these terms

How we make and notify changes is governed by the Keelhelm Terms of Service (Changes to the Services and these Terms); we version these app terms (see above) and may ask you to agree again the next time you create a key.

14. Termination

You may stop using the Service and close your account anytime. We may suspend or close accounts that violate these terms, including the acceptable-use rules in Section 5. On closure you can request export or deletion of your account data as described in the Privacy Policy.

Keelhelm company policies

As noted above, PermitWatch is operated by Keelhelm and is also governed by the company-wide policies in the Keelhelm policy library, incorporated into these terms by reference. To report a concern or illegal content, use the Keelhelm reporting form (see the Reporting & Notice-and-Action Policy).

15. Contact

Questions about these terms, or to report a data error or a screening-intent use you've noticed: email hello (at) keelhelm (dot) com, or legal (at) keelhelm (dot) com for legal notices.