labs@atheron:~/industries/government/apps$ build app --web --mobile

Government permit apps

A resident portal and an inspector app, around your system.

Most permitting systems were bought for staff, not residents. We build the resident-facing portal and the inspector's field app around the system you already have, accessible and bilingual, so applications arrive complete and results go out the day the work is done.

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// what matters here

What is different in this industry.

Accessible from the start

We build to WCAG accessibility guidelines and test with screen readers and keyboards, because a public service has to work for every resident.

Your permitting system stays

We connect to the system of record you already run and add the resident and field front ends, rather than starting a replacement project.

Data stays in Canada

Hosting is in Canadian regions in an account the government owns, and we document where each piece of personal information lives for your privacy impact assessment.

Procurement-ready

We provide the security, privacy and accessibility documentation your procurement and IT teams ask for, and work within your change and release process.

// example projects

Priced examples for this service.

Each one is hypothetical, labelled as such, and priced live from our rate card. Open any of them in the estimator and make it yours.

Example projectWeb app

Municipal permits and licences

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

Building permits and business licences are applied for on paper or by emailed PDF, fees are paid at the counter, and applicants call to ask about status.

// What we would build

An accessible web portal where residents and businesses apply, upload plans, pay fees and follow each application, with a staff console for review, comments and approvals, connected to the existing permitting and finance systems.

// What is in it

Guided applications that ask only what applies to the applicant's case
Plan and document upload with checks before submission
Online fee payment through the municipality's processor
Status, comments and requests for more information in one place
A staff console for review, circulation to departments and approval
Built to WCAG accessibility guidelines, in English and French

// Stack

Next.js
PostgreSQL
Permitting system integration
Payment processor API
AWS Canada

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$140,000 to US$214,000, delivered within 27 weeksCAD 199,300 to 304,800
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$5,010 a monthCAD 7,135 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 5.9 to 10.4 weeks
Core features: 3.4 to 5.9 weeks
Full build: 2.4 to 3.9 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.4 to 0.9 weeks
Controls built and evidenced: 0.9 weeks
Readiness review: 0.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Audit support and remediation: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

Onboarding with the identity service: 1 to 4 weeks
Procurement and privacy review: 4 to 12 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 39,860 to 60,960
Discovery 5.4%: CAD 10,762.20 to 16,459.20
Design approved 5.4%: CAD 10,762.20 to 16,459.20
Core features 16.3%: CAD 32,485.90 to 49,682.40
Full build 10.8%: CAD 21,524.40 to 32,918.40
Testing and fixes 5.4%: CAD 10,762.20 to 16,459.20
Controls built and evidenced 7%: CAD 13,951 to 21,336
Readiness review 7%: CAD 13,951 to 21,336
Launch 5.4%: CAD 10,762.20 to 16,459.20
Audit support and remediation 7.3%: CAD 14,548.90 to 22,250.40
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 19,930 to 30,480

Start from this example

Example projectWeb appMobile app

Offline field inspector app

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

Building and bylaw inspectors take notes on paper, photograph on personal phones and type reports at the office, so results reach applicants a day or more later.

// What we would build

An iOS and Android app that gives inspectors the day's route, the file and checklist for each site, offline note-taking with photos, and a report sent to the applicant as soon as the inspection is closed.

// What is in it

Daily route and inspection files downloaded to the phone
Checklists per inspection type, with photos and location attached
Works offline in a basement or a rural road, and syncs when connected
Results sent to the applicant and written back to the permit file
A supervisor view of inspections by area, inspector and result

// Stack

React Native
Next.js
PostgreSQL
Permitting system integration
AWS Canada

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$117,000 to US$179,000, delivered within 25 weeksCAD 166,300 to 254,400
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$2,500 a monthCAD 3,565 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 3.5 to 4 weeks
Design approved: 5 to 8.5 weeks
Core features: 2.5 to 3.5 weeks
Full build: 1 to 2.5 weeks
First build on devices: 4 to 6 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.5 to 1 weeks
Store submission: 1 to 2 weeks
Launch: 1 to 2 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

App store review: 1 week
Procurement and privacy review: 4 to 12 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 33,260 to 50,880
Discovery 9.2%: CAD 15,299.60 to 23,404.80
Design approved 9.2%: CAD 15,299.60 to 23,404.80
Core features 7.6%: CAD 12,638.80 to 19,334.40
Full build 5%: CAD 8,315 to 12,720
First build on devices 20.1%: CAD 33,426.30 to 51,134.40
Testing and fixes 2.5%: CAD 4,157.50 to 6,360.00
Store submission 6.7%: CAD 11,142.10 to 17,044.80
Launch 9.7%: CAD 16,131.10 to 24,676.80
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 16,630 to 25,440

Start from this example

// questions

Questions we get about this.

Can the permit portal take fee payments?

Yes, through your existing payment processor or the provider your finance team uses. Payments are matched to the application and written back to your finance system.

Does a permit portal work for small municipalities?

Yes. A smaller portal covering your most common permits is often the best start; more types can be added once the first ones work.

Can government inspectors use their own phones?

They can, with the app managed so work data stays separate from personal data. Many organisations issue phones instead; the app works on both.

Back to the industry: Government and public sector About the service: Web and mobile apps

// next

Not quite your project?

Tell us what you have in mind. We will come back to you with a range and the questions that would narrow it. Or book a call and talk it through.

Start a project Book a call