A source-backed comparison of the public-facing systems major Texas jurisdictions use for permit intake, electronic plan review, online payments, inspections and project-status tracking. The goal is to show how digital workflow architecture differs from city to city - not simply which software logo appears on the login screen.
A permit system is more than a vendor name. Alliance reviewed official city pages and public portals for evidence of five practical capabilities: online application, electronic plan/document review, online payments, inspection scheduling, and permit/status tracking.
Can applicants submit permit or development applications through a public online workflow?
Does the jurisdiction support electronic plan uploads, review comments and resubmittals?
Can users pay fees, manage records or complete contractor-related actions online?
Can inspections be scheduled or tracked and permit progress viewed without an in-person visit?
"Yes" means the capability is supported by the official source reviewed. "Partial" means coverage is limited, split across systems, or not available for every permit type. "Not verified" means the source reviewed did not support a confident claim.
| Jurisdiction | Primary Public System | Online Application | Electronic Plan Review | Online Payments | Inspections | Workflow Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | AB+C + ProjectDox | Partial | Yes | Yes | Online | Multi-system AB+C covers some applications, fees and inspections; ProjectDox supports online plan review. |
| Houston | Houston Permit Portal + documented EPR systems | Yes | Yes | Yes | Online | Multi-system Current portal supports permit transactions; official EPR guidance documents iPermits + ProjectDox for commercial plan review. |
| Dallas | DallasNow | Yes | Yes | Yes | Online | Unified cloud Dallas describes DallasNow as a unified cloud-based system and also reports an upgraded ProjectDox digital plan-review environment. |
| San Antonio | BuildSA / Accela Civic Platform | Yes | Integrated | Yes | Online | Highly integrated BuildSA includes applications, payments, inspections, status and an embedded Digital Plan Room. |
| Fort Worth | Accela Citizen Access + Permit Assist | Yes | Electronic | Yes | Online | Integrated self-service Permit Assist now shares a login with Accela and can prefill Accela application information. |
| Arlington | ArlingtonPermits.com | Yes | Status / documents | Online | Online | City portal Portal supports applications, plan-review status, inspection scheduling and online fee payment. |
| El Paso | Accela Citizen Access | Yes | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Accela portal The official public portal supports permit/license application and record search across multiple departments. |
| Plano | eTRAKiT | Yes | Limited evidence | Not verified | Schedule / cancel | Legacy-style portal Public eTRAKiT supports permits, projects, contractor search and inspections; the portal currently notes attachments are unavailable. |
The same "online permitting" label can describe very different applicant experiences.
San Antonio's BuildSA combines application intake, document review, payments, inspection management and real-time status in a single Accela-based environment. Fort Worth is moving toward a similar self-service experience by integrating Permit Assist with Accela.
Austin and Houston are highly digital but document separate systems for different stages. The operational challenge is understanding which tool controls intake, plan review, payments, inspections or corrections for the specific permit type.
Austin explicitly notes that some permits can be submitted through AB+C while others use different submission methods. A portal can be sophisticated without covering every application type.
DallasNow is still being enhanced after launch, including multi-page PDF improvements, fee-process changes and plan-review upgrades. Digital maturity should therefore be treated as a time-stamped field, not a permanent label.
Several jurisdictions allow inspection scheduling directly online. That reduces dependence on phone queues and creates a more traceable post-issuance workflow for contractors and project teams.
AB+C and ProjectDox
Permit Portal with documented multi-system EPR
DallasNow
BuildSA / Accela
Accela Citizen Access + Permit Assist
ArlingtonPermits.com
Accela Citizen Access
eTRAKiT
Only official city pages and official public permitting systems are used for the core technology classifications.
Online portal capabilities and permit coverage.
Austin Development Services sourceElectronic plan and document management.
Austin ProjectDox sourcePermit applications, payments, inspection requests and status tracking.
Houston Permit PortalOfficial commercial EPR guide documenting iPermits and ProjectDox workflow.
Houston EPR guideUnified cloud system, payments, inspection management and digital workflow resources.
DallasNow information hubAccela platform, Digital Plan Room, payments, inspections and status.
BuildSA official sourceAccela Citizen Access and Permit Assist integration.
Fort Worth Development ServicesOnline applications, inspections and public permit functions.
Arlington PermitsOfficial online permitting and licensing portal.
El Paso Citizen AccessPermit, project, inspection and license portal functions.
Plano eTRAKiTIt compares the public-facing technology used to submit, review, pay for, track and inspect permits in selected major Texas jurisdictions. It does not grade code enforcement quality or predict permit approval.
No. Some jurisdictions expose a unified portal, while others use multiple systems for application intake, plan review, payments, inspections or related development functions.
Not necessarily. A unified portal can reduce handoffs, but usability also depends on configuration, permit coverage, plan-review integration, status visibility, customer support and the complexity of the underlying process.
Yes. Alliance can research published jurisdiction requirements, identify the applicable filing path, organize application materials, submit through authorized portals, track permit status and coordinate administrative corrections. Technical design and approval decisions remain with licensed professionals and the reviewing authority.
Alliance combines jurisdiction research, permit intelligence and experienced permit professionals to identify the correct filing path, prepare the administrative package, submit where authorized and track the permit through review.