OpenCounter

OpenCounter helps people work out what approvals they need from a city. Its portals answer applicants' questions ahead of any contact with city hall, covering which permits a project needs, whether zoning allows a use at an address and roughly what it will cost.

Accela bought the product in July 2024 from Euna Solutions, and it is still sold under the OpenCounter name.

What OpenCounter offers

• Separate portals — for businesses, homeowners and special events.
• Guided project questions — applicants are led through their plan and shown the permits and licences it needs.
• ZoningCheck — tests a proposed use against the local zoning code.
• Fee estimates — a cost outline for a planned project.
• Applications and payments — applicants can apply and pay online.
• System integration — can link with the permitting system a city already runs, at three depths of integration from light to deep.

Who it works with

City governments and their applicants. Its site names Cincinnati, Orlando, Atlanta, Detroit, Fort Worth and Salt Lake City among its cities.

Key facts

• Owner: Accela, since July 2024
• Set-up time: a single portal in under two months; a suite of portals takes three to six months