Brian Williams
Founder, PermitDeck
Brian Williams is a 25-year career firefighter based in Kansas City, Kansas, and the founder of PermitDeck. He built the site out of the same frustration every homeowner knows — contractors who don't call back, quote forms that sell your information, and permit rules buried in state websites no one can decipher.
PermitDeck is the resource he wished existed when he was hiring: verified contractors with real phone numbers, straightforward permit guidance, and no interest in extracting fees from either side.
What PermitDeck stands for
Two mandates govern every decision on this site. They exist because the aggregator industry has spent two decades teaching homeowners and contractors to expect the opposite.
Every contractor is verified
License numbers checked against state agency records. Websites reachable. Location verified. The methodology is published.
Read the methodologyContractors never pay per lead
Free listings through at least April 2027. Max 3 verified pros per match request (never 8 like Angi, never 15 like Thumbtack). No contracts.
See the comparisonRecent writing
A live feed of the most recent guides, blog posts, and state deep-dive pages I've written or edited on PermitDeck.
9 Signs You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade in 2026
Nine concrete signs your electrical panel is asking to be replaced, from recalled brands to scorched bus ba…
Whole-House Repipe in 2026: Cost, Timeline, and What to Expect
A whole-house repipe runs $4,500 to $15,000 depending on home size, pipe material, and access. Here is when…
Electrical Panel Upgrade in 2026: Cost, Timeline, and How to Decide
A 100A to 200A panel upgrade runs $1,800 to $3,500 typical, takes 4 to 8 hours of power-off, and requires a…
How to Install a Home EV Charger in 2026 (The Real How-To)
A Level 2 home EV charger runs $1,200 to $3,500 installed and takes 1 to 3 weeks if your panel cooperates.…
Florida deck permits
FBC hurricane rules, exemption thresholds, and CCCL coastal review.
Texas deck permits
No statewide code; what each major city actually enforces.
California deck permits
State code, CRC updates, and the city portals that matter.
Texas electrical permits
TDLR licensing, no statewide code, and what each metro enforces.
New York electrical permits
2023 NEC adoption, NYC vs upstate, and the licensing maze.
California electrical permits
NEC adoption, C-10 licensing, and AB 1236 streamlined EV rules.
Deck permit cost by state (2026)
50-state pricing reference built from the actual fee schedules.
PermitDeck Permit Cost Index 2026
Original research: cost-of-permitting across all 50 states.
Deck ledger board attachment
IRC R507.9 lateral-load fasteners and the 2-bolt myth.
Deck joist span tables (IRC)
The span chart most deck builders are quietly getting wrong.
The 30% EV Charger Tax Credit Expires June 30, 2026 — What Homeowners Need to Know
The federal Section 30C credit pays 30% of a home EV charger install (up to $1,000) — but only if it is "pl…
How to look up building permits
Finding open, closed, and historical permits for any property.
Do you need a permit for solar panels?
AHJ rules, AB 1236-style streamlining, and the 25D cliff.
Do you need a permit for a water heater?
Tank, tankless, and heat-pump replacements compared.
Do you need a permit for a pool?
Barrier code, NEC 680 bonding, alarms, and 50-state rules.
Do you need a permit to build a deck?
The national rule, plus where the exemptions actually apply.
What happens if you build without a permit
Fines, stop-work orders, resale issues — the real consequences.
How to get a building permit
The step-by-step process, written for homeowners.
Should You Use Contractor Financing? (2026)
Contractor financing (GreenSky, Service Finance, Synchrony) offers convenience and 0% promos but often incl…
Home Renovations With the Best ROI (2026)
Garage doors, entry doors, minor kitchen remodels, and siding top the 2026 ROI charts. Here are the project…
Editorial approach
I'm not a contractor or a tech executive. I don't pretend to be one. What I am is a homeowner who's done a lot of projects, talked to a lot of contractors, and read a lot of government permit pages — and I got tired of how hard the industry makes it for normal people to hire someone they can trust.
Every cost estimate on this site is built from industry averages and regional construction indices. Every permit page cites official state or city sources. Every contractor listing is checked against real public records before it goes live. When I don't know something, I say so and point you to the state or local department that does.
On AI:I use AI tools to help draft cost guides, first-pass blog content, and the checklist text on category pages. Every page then gets reviewed against authoritative sources (IRS publications, state licensing boards, ICC/IRC code editions, BLS data, city permit offices) before it goes live. The AI does not get to publish unchecked. Contractor listings are never AI-generated — every single one is researched manually and WebFetch-verified against the business's own website.
If you find something wrong, email me at support@permitdeck.com. I read every one.