Adding Permits to Watchlist

Adding permits to your Watchlist is the first step in tracking permit activity and receiving notifications. Plotwise offers multiple search methods to help you find exactly the permits you need, whether you're searching by permit number, license, location, company, or person.

Before You Begin

Before adding permits, check your permit slot quota:

• View your current usage in the Watchlist header: "X of Y slots used"
• If you've reached your limit, remove completed permits or upgrade your plan
• See Billing & Subscription for plan details

Opening the Add Permit Modal

To add permits to your watchlist:

1. Navigate to your organization's Watchlist page
2. Click the Add Permit button in the top right corner
3. The search modal will open, showing 5 search type options

Search Methods

The Add Permit modal supports 5 different search types. Choose the method that best fits how you want to find permits:

1. Single Permit Search

Search for a specific permit by its permit number:

1. Select Permit Number as the search type
2. Enter the full or partial permit number
3. Select the jurisdiction (optional, helps narrow results)
4. Click Search
5. Select the permit from results
6. Click Add to Watchlist

Use case: When you know the exact permit number from a client or document.

Example: Search for permit 2024-001234 in San Francisco.

2. License Search

Find all permits associated with a contractor's license number:

1. Select License Number as the search type
2. Enter the license number (e.g., 123456)
3. Select the license type (General Contractor, Electrical, Plumbing, etc.) - optional
4. Click Search
5. Review results showing all permits for that license
6. Select permits to add (multiple selection supported)
7. Click Add to Watchlist

Use case: Track all work done by a specific contractor across jurisdictions.

Example: Search for license C-10 987654 to find all permits from that general contractor.

3. Location Search

Discover permits near a specific address or coordinates:

1. Select Location as the search type
2. Enter an address or coordinates (latitude/longitude)
3. Set the search radius (default: 0.5 miles)
   • Adjust using the slider or input field
   • Units based on your preference (miles or kilometers)
4. Click Search
5. Results show permits within the radius, sorted by distance
6. Select permits to add
7. Click Add to Watchlist

Use case: Find permits near a specific property or project site.

Example: Search within 1 mile of 123 Main St, San Francisco, CA to find nearby construction activity.

4. Company Search

Find permits by company name or Federal Employer Identification (FEI) number:

1. Select Company as the search type
2. Start typing the company name - autocomplete suggestions will appear
3. Important: Use the autocomplete dropdown to select a company
   • Autocomplete performs fuzzy matching to find companies even if you don't know the exact normalized format
   • Shows permit counts next to each suggestion
   • Auto-fills FEI number when available
4. Alternatively, search by FEI number or phone number
5. Click Search
6. Select permits to add
7. Click Add to Watchlist

Use case: Track all permits from a specific property owner, developer, or contractor company.

Example: Start typing "D.R. Horton" and select from autocomplete suggestions to find all permits from that homebuilder.

5. Person Search

Find permits by person name or email address:

1. Select Person as the search type
2. Start typing the person's name - autocomplete suggestions will appear
3. Important: Use the autocomplete dropdown to select a person
   • Autocomplete performs fuzzy matching for name variations
   • Shows permit counts next to each suggestion
4. Alternatively, search by email address
5. Click Search
6. Select permits to add
7. Click Add to Watchlist

Use case: Track permits where a specific architect, engineer, or property owner is involved.

Example: Search for "John Smith" to find all permits where he's listed as owner, applicant, or contractor.

Bulk Add from Portfolio or Radar

In addition to manual search, you can bulk add permits from your Portfolio or Radar discoveries:

1. Navigate to Portfolio or Radar page
2. Select multiple permits using checkboxes
3. Click Add to Watchlist button
4. Confirm the action
5. Selected permits are added in bulk

Quota check: If adding multiple permits would exceed your quota, you'll see an upgrade prompt.

Understanding Permit Slot Limits

When you attempt to add permits, Plotwise checks your quota:

• Within quota: Permits are added successfully
• At quota: You'll see a warning that you're at your limit
• Exceeding quota: You'll be prompted to:
  • Remove completed permits that you no longer need to track
  • Upgrade your plan for more slots
  • Purchase additional slot add-ons (available on Professional and Enterprise plans)

Search Tips & Best Practices

Company and Person Name Search

• Always use autocomplete - Don't try to guess the exact normalized format
• Type at least 2-3 characters to trigger suggestions
• Select from the dropdown instead of manually typing the full name
• If you don't see the company/person, try variations or partial names

Location Search

• Use specific addresses for best results (e.g., "123 Main St" not just "Main St")
• Start with a small radius (0.5 miles) and expand if needed
• Combine with date filters to find recent permits only

License Search

• Include license type if you know it for more accurate results
• Some contractors hold multiple license types - search each separately

Permit Number Search

• Try partial numbers if you're not sure of the full permit number
• Check multiple jurisdictions if the permit could be in different cities

Troubleshooting

After Adding Permits

Once permits are added to your watchlist:

1. Enable notifications: Configure which changes you want to be notified about in Notification Preferences
2. Add tags: Organize permits with custom tags (e.g., "Client A", "Residential", "High Priority")
3. Add notes: Document interactions, phone calls, or observations
4. Create tasks: Set follow-up reminders for inspections or corrections
5. Monitor activity: Watch for status changes in the Activity column

See Managing Permits for details on organizing your watchlist.

Related Documentation

• Watchlist Overview
• Managing Permits
• Portfolio Conditions - Automatic permit discovery
• Radar Conditions - Location-based discovery
• Notifications Overview
• Billing & Subscription