PermitFlow is a US-based permit submission and tracking tool for contractors who already have drawings. PreBuildIQ is Ontario's pre-development intelligence platform, built for developers and planners who need to scope approval requirements before drawings are commissioned. Different stage. Different problem.
The Ontario planning approvals process has two distinct research phases. The first happens before a single drawing is produced: which agencies are triggered, which studies are mandatory, what does the bylaw actually permit. The second happens after design is complete: submitting applications and tracking their progress through municipal review. PermitFlow addresses the second. PreBuildIQ addresses the first.
Getting the first phase wrong is expensive. A developer who commissions drawings without knowing a Hydrogeological Study is required has paid for a drawing set that cannot support a complete 1st submission.
| Feature | ★ PreBuildIQ | PermitFlow |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario-native coverage | ✓ 43 Ontario municipalities | × US-primary, limited Canada |
| Pre-application agency trigger analysis | ✓ 188 approval bodies indexed | × Not covered |
| Required studies list for 1st submission | ✓ 381 studies across 43 munis | × Not covered |
| Zoning bylaw standards by address | ✓ 37,941 sections RAG-indexed | × Not covered |
| Conservation authority jurisdiction overlay | ✓ TRCA, LSRCA, CLOCA, others | × Not covered |
| Greenbelt / Oak Ridges Moraine overlay | ✓ Live | × Not covered |
| Drawing compliance checker (OBC + bylaws) | ✓ Phase 2, live | ∖ Permit application prep only |
| Lot size and density feasibility check | ✓ 10 municipalities via ArcGIS | × Not covered |
| Works before drawings exist | ✓ Address lookup only required | × Requires completed drawings |
| Permit submission management | ∖ Phase 3 roadmap | ✓ Core product |
| Permit tracking / status dashboard | ∖ Phase 3 roadmap | ✓ Core product |
| Procore integration | ∖ Phase 3 roadmap | ✓ Available |
| Self-serve, free first report | ✓ No credit card required | ∖ Pricing on request |
You know the address. You need to know which agencies circulate, which studies are triggered, what the bylaw permits for the proposed use. Weeks before drawings exist.
Drawings are done. Applications are ready. You need to file permits across multiple US jurisdictions and track their status through review. Post-design workflow.
PermitFlow's core value proposition is permit submission automation: feeding application data into municipal portals and tracking review status. That presupposes a complete application package. To assemble that package, a developer needs to already know which studies are required. PermitFlow does not answer that question.
In Ontario specifically, the approvals stack is also materially different from the US jurisdictions PermitFlow was built for. Ontario developers navigate the Planning Act (OPA, ZBA, site plan, minor variance), the Conservation Authorities Act (permits in regulated areas), and the provincial policy framework (Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, Growth Plan). US permit software does not model these workflows.
Get the full agency list and required studies for any Ontario address in 60 seconds.
Try free →Architectural fees for a mid-rise development range from $200K to $800K+ depending on scope. If the drawing set is prepared without confirmation of the required study list, the commenting package may be returned incomplete at 1st submission. The statutory 90-day review clock never starts. The applicant restarts from the beginning.
In the GTA, 60% of planning applications require at least one resubmission. The average delay cost from a single rejected submission is $197K+ in carrying costs. The pre-development checklist is the document that prevents this. It costs 60 seconds to generate.
PermitFlow is a permit submission and tracking platform that manages the construction permitting process after you have design drawings. PreBuildIQ is a pre-development intelligence platform that tells Ontario developers and planners what approvals, studies, and agency engagements are needed before drawings are commissioned. They address different stages: PermitFlow is post-design, PreBuildIQ is pre-design.
PermitFlow is a US-based platform with primary coverage in American jurisdictions. It does not cover Ontario's OPA, ZBA, minor variance, site plan, or conservation authority permit workflows, which are governed by the Planning Act (Ontario) and the Conservation Authorities Act. PreBuildIQ is purpose-built for the Ontario approvals stack across 43 municipalities.
In Ontario, a developer who begins commissioning drawings without knowing which studies are triggered wastes consultant fees on the wrong scope. The municipality confirms required studies at the Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) stage. If the drawing set does not account for a required Environmental Impact Study or Functional Servicing Report, the 1st submission is returned incomplete and the statutory review clock never starts. In the GTA, 60% of applications are resubmitted at least once, costing $197K+ in additional carrying costs.
PreBuildIQ covers 43 Ontario municipalities including Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Peterborough, Kingston, and Greater Sudbury, with 188 approval bodies and 381 required studies indexed. The platform is purpose-built for the Ontario planning approvals workflow under the Planning Act and Conservation Authorities Act.
Yes. Permit filing and live status tracking are on the PreBuildIQ Phase 3 roadmap. The platform will eventually cover the full development lifecycle from pre-application scoping through permit tracking. Phase 1 (pre-development checklist) and Phase 2 (drawing compliance checker) are live now.
Enter an address. Get every agency, study, and approval trigger before commissioning a single drawing. First report free.
Try it free today →