Refund Policy

Effective 2026-05-04. Draft — pending legal review.

We charge two amounts at checkout: the City of Whitefish permit / application / plan review fee (paid through to the city), and a 10% PermitPilot service fee with a $25 minimum (our revenue). This policy describes when and how each is refunded.

Refund triggers

1. Withdrawn before submission to the city

If you cancel after payment but before we have emailed your packet to the City of Whitefish, both the city fee and the service fee are refunded in full, less any non-recoverable payment-processor charges.

2. City rejects for our error

If the City of Whitefish rejects, returns, or refuses to process your application due to an error in how PermitPilot prepared or transmitted the packet (for example: we sent the wrong form, omitted a required attachment we already had, or made a clerical error in fields we control), the service fee is refunded in full. City-side fees follow the city’s own refund rules.

3. City rejects for applicant error or scope

If the City of Whitefish rejects, returns, or otherwise does not issue your permit because of information you provided (for example: incorrect project description, plans that do not meet code, missing owner signature, missing professional stamp, or a project that requires a different permit type), the service fee is not refundable. Re-filing under a corrected scope is treated as a new application and incurs a new service fee. City-side fees follow the city’s own refund rules.

4. Estimate vs. actual city fee

City fees are confirmed at submission. If the city’s actual fee is lower than our estimate, we refund the difference. If higher, we will request authorization for the additional amount before forwarding payment to the city.

5. Chargebacks & disputes

Initiating a chargeback without first contacting permits@chrisshaw.me may result in your account being closed. We will work in good faith to resolve any billing dispute by email first.

How to request a refund

Email permits@chrisshaw.me with your PermitPilot reference number and a brief description. Refunds are typically processed within 5 business days of approval to the original payment method.

City fees and disclaimers

PermitPilot does not control City of Whitefish fees, processing times, plan-review outcomes, or final permit decisions. Our service refund is independent of any city refund.