Get a clear answer before you build, replace, toss, or buy.
Four free tools that turn "do I need a permit," "can I throw this away," and "what's this costing me" into a sourced answer — plus the checklist to act on it.
Do I need a permit for a 160 sq ft shed in Austin, TX?
Four tools, four everyday questions
Each one asks a few plain questions and gives you a direct, sourced result — not a wall of generic advice.
DIY Permit Need Checker
Shed, fence, deck, retaining wall, water heater, or EV charger — get a plain-language read on whether a permit is likely required.
Open tool →Smoke Alarm Coverage & Expiration
Enter your home's layout and each alarm's date to see what's missing, what's expired, and whether you need CO alarms.
Open tool →Household Hazardous Waste Finder
Old paint, a swollen battery, a propane tank — get a clear trash, recycle, or hazardous-waste answer with safety steps.
Open tool →Appliance True Cost Calculator
See what a dehumidifier, space heater, or mini fridge really costs to run per day, month, and year at your state's rate.
Open tool →How it works
Answer a few plain questions
No account, no jargon — just the details about your project, alarms, item, or appliance.
Get a sourced result
A direct answer, the reasoning behind it, and — where we've verified one — the official source. If we haven't verified your exact city yet, we say so.
Act on it
A checklist, the questions worth asking your local department, and the supplies people in your situation typically need.
Sourced, not guessed
Permit rules and disposal programs are set city by city and county by county. Rather than guess at your specific ordinance, our tools label every result as either a verified source we've confirmed or a general pattern that needs a quick local check. We'd rather tell you what we don't know yet than invent a confident answer that turns out wrong.