Set up a permit type and fees
Copy a permit type, set fields and documents, add fees and workflow steps, test a record and publish it to the portal.
Before you start
Have these ready. This guide is for a town administrator or department head with configuration access.
- A similar permit type to copy, so fields, fees and steps start close to right
- The fee schedule in effect, with fee names, amounts and effective dates
- Required documents and the plain explanation for each document
- Workflow owners by role or department, with due days for each step
Note: A copied type starts as a disabled draft. It does not appear in the portal until you publish it.
Steps
Work in this order, because fees, steps and publishing depend on the items before them.
Copy the type
Open Setup and choose Copy type. Choose the similar type, give the copy a name and check that it stays disabled until you publish it.
Set fields and documents
Edit the form fields in order. Set each label, field type and required flag. Add required documents with accepted file types and a plain explanation for applicants.
Add fees
Attach the fee schedule for the type. Check each fee line, amount and unit. Preview the fee total an applicant will see before they pay.
Build workflow steps
Add review steps in order. Set the owner role or department and due days for each step. Write the plain next-step message the applicant will see at each step.
Test a record
Create a clearly marked test record, walk it through submit, fee, review and issue, and record pass or fail for each step.
Publish
When the test passes, choose Publish. The type appears in the portal for new applications. Records already submitted keep the version they started with.
What happens next
The portal and staff intake use the same type, so fees and required documents match on both sides.
- The type appears in the portal catalog with its description, documents and fee preview
- New records use the new fields, fees and steps from the publish date
- Open records keep the steps and fees created at their submission
- Every configuration change is logged with user and time
If a step is missing
The publish check lists what blocks publishing, so you can fix it in the screen that owns it.
A town cannot publish the portal until at least one type, one workflow, one fee schedule and one notification template are active. The checklist shows which item is missing and links directly to that screen.
Retiring a type, fee or template keeps it readable on old records and stops new use only. It does not delete history, and it does not rewrite fees or steps on open records.
Can I edit a live type in place
Changing a type, fee or workflow applies to new records. Records already submitted keep the version they started with, so in-flight reviews do not change meaning mid-review.
What should the test record check
Check intake, fee calculation, review routing, inspection scheduling where the type allows it, and issuance. The type cannot be published until the test record passes intake, fee and issue.
Related guides
Apply for a permit as an applicant, or run a report after you publish a type.