# Page 2 | OpenGov Permitting & Licensing Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 2 - Is OpenGov Permitting & Licensing the right License Management solution for you? Explore 80 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/201678/Permitting-and-Licensing/reviews --- OpenGov Permitting & Licensing 3.9 (80) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 2 - Reviews of OpenGov Permitting & Licensing ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 26-50 of 80 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use BK Brian K. Plumbing/Mechanical Inspector Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very disappointed with Cloud based system" December 19, 2019 2.0 I was on the team to review new permitting software for the City of Portsmouth about 5 years ago. After reviewing multiple systems and having an onsite demo we all picked Viewpoint as the number 1 choice This was before it was a web based program since one of the requirement in the RFP was in could not be a cloud based program. For some reason the city decided not upgrade at that time. The City then decided to go with Viewpoint Cloud without consulting with the original team. In my opinion the cloud based system was a major step backwards. Also I think there are much better cloud base permitting systems available. Pros As a plumbing mechanical inspector I like the fact that we can schedule the inspection in the system and when I leave the job I can record inspection results in my vehicle on tablet. Saves a lot of time on recording manually or returning to office and entering into system. I like the fact that all communication is done in the permit and the results can be shared with other inspectors by using the @. Cons The integration with Outlook is terrible. It creates another calendar that cannot be edited to add appointments not related to Viewpoint inspection and you can not customize the amount of time for an inspection. It schedules to 1/2 hr. and some inspections we schedule are for 1hr. Also once an inspection is scheduled you can not schedule another inspection for that permit until you sign of on the scheduled inspection. Some contractors would like to schedule multiple inspection for the same permit at once. The contractor database should be built into the software and not an add on. There is a problem with running reports. I did contact support months ago and was told that it is an issue with the system but it still has not been resolved. Better reporting was one of the main reasons we purchased the system Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing I did not Review Source JL Julieann L. Admin to Building Commissioner Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "More Functionality" December 19, 2019 4.0 Mixed. The customer service is responsive which is key. The flow of the permit process is ok but needs streamlining in my opinion. Pros Pleasant looking and pretty straight forward Cons Too many steps to complete an inspection. I have thousands of inspections that the inspector did not realize had to be "completed" then "completed" again to close out that step, if applicable. Editing our building permit that is printed out has been a nightmare to edit. Cannot resize. User-unfriendly. Have to use code language. Would like sub-folders in attachments., not just one attachment per "box". In other words, if I have more than one set of plans. I would like to put them in a "plans" attachment with sub-folders of the various plans. The syncing to my email calendar does not appear to work either. I would like to schedule inspections around meetings, days off, etc without having to go back and forth from my Outlook calendar and viewpoint "Inspect" tab. We also want to have all property records online in View Point, not just permits. Having the functionality to organize records of all types in with the permits would be great. The inability to link more than one record to another in the Projects option is annoying too. Many of our larger ongoing projects have one overall building permit with multiple sub-permits. For example: a new commercial construction building will have 2 or 3 Building permits with several related permits that I want to link together. For example, there could be two or three electrical, plumbing, sheet metal, gas etc permits that, if linked somehow together would make is so much easier than to try to sort through which permit is with which. Review Source TC Tamie C. Admin Asst Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "It's OK" December 23, 2019 3.0 disappointing overall!! I personally was not here when this software was first installed. I had to figure it own on my own. We tried to get View Point to come here to help us with showing us all the features...(which I'm sure I do not know about or haven't figured out or had the time)....but of course that comes with a high price tag !!! The town was not willing to pay such a high price for them to come here for a couple hours from Boston, which is only 50 miles away to really see what the software has to offer!! And I don't have time to read pages and pages of "help/support" Pros Being able to look up permits at your fingertips. We are not live to the point of customers using it and we just use it for Inspectional Permits Cons Reports.... not easy to figure out and use. Lots of long processing time....issues getting bumped out while working on a permit. Small annoying issues of such as addresses not recognized when they clearly are there and exist. sometimes I just deal with the annoying issues and don't bother with support, because, mostly it's not worth it! Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing Unfortunately the previous Building Commissioner suggested it because another town was using it and recently found out that they no longer use it?? This was purchased long before I got here and it was our IT dept that handled it? Review Source NM Nathan M. Code enforcement Officer Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not the right tool for my job." December 20, 2019 2.0 I have worked with Viewpoint across the last two years. Initially first hand and then along with City staff. The obstacles I encountered were also encountered by the City staff who were charged with configuring the program to perform task that I mentioned earlier. A large portion of the work which could have been completed when transitioning from Accela to Viewpoint was not possible as the program did not appear to have import/export capability outside of having Viewpoint staff perform this task at an additional cost. Pros It seems to do a decent job for permit tracking. Cons It is not structured to manage Code Enforcement cases without significant customization by Viewpoint staff. This program does not seem to work along the lines of a true CRM. That being the case it does not perform simple task such a lineal record perpetuation. This is important to have as an in-house adjustable feature that our City staff can easily customize without substantial outside support. For instance, the making of reports which populate letters and set dates for follow ups in a calendar/email format. Review Source LS Lynn S. Director of Public Works Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Unhappy in Connecticut" December 20, 2019 1.0 Unfortunately we went from very happy to very unhappy with the latest upgrade. We need someone from ViewPermit Cloud to come to North Haven and work with us - for just a few days - until we can resolve the issues we need. Pros The original software our staff liked very much as the features were all customized and helpful and the support was in person and helpful. Cons The 'upgrade' hasn't allowed North Haven to access the originally designed features and because it cannot secure in person visits form the software company, we cannot resolve our issues. We would love for someone from ViewPoint Cloud to come and spend a week with us like they did when the software first came out but no one wants to come and spend time with members of our users group. Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing We were told we had not choice. We were told that ViewPermit was being upgraded to ViewPermit Cloud and the existing software was no longer being supported. The new product is NOT an upgrade it's a step far backwards. Review Source BW Brad W. Building Official Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Needs work" December 19, 2019 1.0 The system is skipping the Fire Department on permits and the Demo permits are being approved by Engineering Department and not forwarded to Building official. Last I knew the code drop down box did not have option for 2019 new codes. It is difficult to process the CO's in Viewpoint it is a lot easier in Opal. Pros I can access the program from my I pad remotely. Cons Customer support is a big problem - there is no contact person for municipalities and it is a lot worse for customers filing permits who are having difficulty and have nobody at viewpoint to get assistance from. Contact information needs to be posted at the top of page when logged on to system. Please call \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\] he has tried to file permit since yesterday afternoon. Switched from [Opal](https://www.capterra.com/p/196606/Opal/) Statewide permitting Review Source JD James D. Pretreatment Inspector Utilities Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good Service" January 6, 2020 5.0 In its current state, I enjoy it and find it easy to use. It is a far better system then the paper records the municipality used to use. Pros This software was a little rough in the beginning, but after some updates as well as other users getting used to it in the municipality that I work in, it's become pretty reliable. I like the ease that users have to upload documents and my ability to view and download them. I also especially like the ability to make comments internally. Cons I have not found an easy way to check permits that I have already completed. I see what looks like that option in my profile, however nothing loads when I click on completed. I also get spammed with "documents have been uploaded" to my email when they are uploaded on permits. This is not always important for me to know, and I do not see any settings that I can filter what kind of emails I receive from viewpointcloud. Review Source MG Marlene G. Clerk Typist Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Viewpoint Cloud" December 18, 2019 5.0 Viewpoint makes the overall permitting experience very easy. Of course there are a few older contractors that aren't comfortable on computers yet but overall everyone is happy. It also makes it easy for solar companies to pull their permits when they're out of state, they don't have to set a date to have someone drive down to pull it, they can do it right from their office. Pros I like the usability of the program. I like how fast and easy looking up permits is when title searchers and realtors come in to see permits and showing them how to use the website from their offices, and they like that they have access to it 24/7 as well. I like the capability of scanning in documents making my job filing much easier reducing the amount of paper we keep in the office. Cons The only gripe I have is locations for condos, apartments, or co-ops are hard for residents and contractors to find. Usually requires them calling to find out what address to use to get through the application. Also, the inability to delete a unit # once created I wish there was an option to be able to do that, in case its a duplicate. Review Source AC Abby C. ZEO Government Relations Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Room for Improvement" December 20, 2019 3.0 There are lots of ways that the software could improve but the biggest problem I think we have encountered is that it wasn't set up for us as well as it could have been which makes searching for records a nightmare. It would also be awesome if numerous panels on the right hand side of the screen could be minimized with a toggle switch so you don't have to scroll down through a bunch of jobber jabber that doesn't pertain to you. Pros This software has helped clarify the process for applicants and ensures nothing gets missed by each of the departments along the way. Cons It was set up in a less than ideal manner. It is difficult to find records that we are looking for. I wish there were a way to "hide" applications and designate a date that you would like a reminder. For example, I often work out of the inbox function. If someone applies for a pool permit today (its winter) but aren't going to start until spring, that sits in my inbox forever. I wish I could hide it for say 2 months and have it pop up again in my inbox in the spring. Review Source MD Michael D. Zoning Agent Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Good product, missing a few key features to make it great" December 20, 2019 3.0 Pros The ability to build project templates to the public facing site Cons Form fields that you can capture with reports, the ability to add custom fields to reports so that you can more easily see where permits are in the workflow. Other programs have this feature and it makes keeping track of the permit status very easy, especially for staff that aren't involved in the approval process. The reporting process is also still a bit complicated. The old system was much more user friendly when it came to printing reports that we needed to sent to finance offices and the State. Based on the fact that the users that generate these reports are not typically "permit reviewers" these reports should really be set up as a click and go. Review Source DT David T. Building Official Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Could be better" December 24, 2019 3.0 I work for Richmond as well and approve all permits Pros For all easy permits like re-roof hot water heater replacement and so on, all that need little to no review Cons So many things that could make this system so much better and easier I would love to sit down and go over ideas but after many years since this system was just being proposed I have tried to make contact with viewpoint to no avail Seems like no one wants to improve the site Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing Wanted to try and state was pushing hard, I’m glad I did not for west Greenwich still too many issues Review Source MT Marc T. Director of IT Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Marc Tate - Westerly RI" December 20, 2019 3.0 We were part of the State of Rhode Island push to have an online E-permitting system. This allowed us to take online submissions and credit card payments. It has cut down our data entry time and provided public access to our information. Pros Being a SAAS product is the best feature of the software Cons Very limited reporting options - AN EXPORT TO EXCEL IS NOT A REPORT - I had to write a program so that my users were not recreating reports every day. Viewpoint, like every other permitting program I have ever used, should have basic canned reports that could be run as needed. Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing We wanted a SAAS solution that IT was not maintaining, Switched from [Opal](https://www.capterra.com/p/196606/Opal/) The State of Rhode Island covered the initial setup and conversion costs. Review Source BB Ben B. Project Manager Public Safety Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Monroe County Project Manager" December 30, 2021 5.0 The overall experience has been great. Files are organized, easy to find and everything is paperless. Inspections are much easier and faster since the software is portable and permits can be issued on site. Pros Every individual project is in one file. Easy to use and find files as needed. Cons Upload voicemails to the system. This would be very helpful with Code Enforcement and Court. Review Source LM Lucas M. Principal Planner Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review from City Planner" December 23, 2019 4.0 Overall experience is good. Keeps the building permit approval process moving. Pros Easy to use with relatively user friendly interface. Cons Mapping functions are often off. Would be better if it was integrated into our GIS. It would also be nice to add pictures and plans directly to our comments. It would also be nice to label attachments and plans separately with the ability to preview documents. I am often having to download 10 plans before I get the one I need from the bulk attachments. Review Source MG Michael G. Inspector of Buildings Government Administration Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Town of Wellesley" December 23, 2019 4.0 The overall experience has been positive but there are improvements that Viewpoint should make to improve the system. Pros The program is very intuitive . It is easy to customize to how you want it to operate. Cons The program needs cancelled/void, expired choices for permits. The program needs to allow multiple people on a permit. The Building Code allows licensed designee's. Viewpoint should do the same. The reporting function needs to be improved. Hard to search all parameters that can arise from the Public and internally. Switched from [Tyler Fire Prevention Mobile](https://www.capterra.com/p/167197/Munis-Field-Inspector/) THe MUNIS program had been phased put and was not customer or staff friendly. Review Source SG Susan G. Assistant Collector Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Parking permitting " December 23, 2021 4.0 Helpful with less traffic of people with the pandemic. It is more useful when documents are inaccurate you just send message and request information. This is also helpful when it is a renewal period, making the influx easier to handle. Pros integration very helpful during the covid period. Without the in person transaction the process through Opengov is so much more manageable. Cons I wish fixes with problems happened much quicker. It does seem to take a lot of time to resolve a problem. Review Source KK KC K. Town Clerk Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Dog licensing for Town Govt" January 7, 2020 3.0 Allowed the community to register their dog themselves. And pay via credit card. The problem is that we have had some issues that came out of the blue. We were supposed to start a renewal campaign on 1/1/2020. The system, on it's own, switched the date to 1/2 (on 1/1) and then on 1/2, switched the date again to 1/3. All by itself. Recently, we've had more glitches in the system. Printing formatting changes (from no where). Reporting issues, etc... Not sure what changed. Pros It takes credit cards and is available for community to use online Cons Many glitches in the system. Because it was built for building permits, requires various work-arounds to make it work for dog licensing. Work-arounds are not technical solutions. For example, when a dog dies, needs to do several steps to stop the record. Also, there needs to more levels of rights for users. Currently, the administrator has to do alot of the work. Need a mid-level rights for users with a little more authority. Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing We switched to ViewPoint because the building department was using it. Review Source SL Stephen L. Electrical Inspector Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best of the available software options But needs Improvement" January 5, 2022 3.0 Pros It's a great product compared to the competitors that being said the competitors are equivalent to use a typewriter. Cons Missing a lot of Features. Inspection Scheduling should be like Open Table for restaurants. Not easy to use for some of our senior inspectors. No Tablet/ Phone APP. Takes Days for tech support feedback. Review Source VE Victor E. Planning Technician Government Relations Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great Product" January 4, 2022 5.0 Overall, it has been an easy and efficient product that i would recommend. Pros OpenGov is easy to use and has great functions for managing, and record keeping. It has made functions more efficient as I am able to quickly reference properties in the city and view all types of permits on file. Cons Sometimes there seems to be address units that do not show up in a quick search. Review Source MF Michael F. Dispatcher Public Safety Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Viewpoint works well" December 19, 2019 4.0 Viewpoint is used city wide and has made our permitting process for city wide permitting and tracking so much easier. End of year tallies are a breeze. Pros This product has made our permitting process easier. Cons A lot of our contractors and customers don't like using viewpoint but if they want a permit they get used to it. Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing I was not in that process. Review Source DW David W. Electrical Inspector Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The funcitionallity of this software" December 19, 2019 4.0 Pros Very comprehensive, includes lots of information Cons Ever time there is an upgrade or even a change in the look, there seems to be a lack of testing before the release. The glitches seem to take days or even weeks to repair. Which is frustrating. Review Source RS Ruth S. Department Assistant Canton Board of Health Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Open Gov Citizen Services" January 5, 2022 5.0 Pros Product is easy to learn and use. Also the public are using it and love it which makes my job better. Cons I cant think of anything that I do not like about the software. Review Source NH Nicole H. Fire Clerk Public Safety Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review about ViewPointCloud" December 19, 2019 3.0 Its ok, but needs changes as described above. Pros What I like the most is that its paperless. Contractors and home owners have no excuse for not pulling a permit. Cons The features are not set up for a permit to be filled out properly. Not enough options and unnecessary ones as well. Review Source RH Russell H. Zoning Official Government Administration Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Viewpoint Cloud review" December 19, 2019 3.0 Easier for clients to apply for permits but more office time to process permits. Pros Cloud based accessible on many devices. Cons Problematic with property searches and not very compatible with tax database. Switched from [Vision6](https://www.capterra.com/p/154672/Vision6/) State recommended/mandated Review Source JL Jeffrey L. Director of Inspection & Standards Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Permitting" January 6, 2020 4.0 Increased public use. Pros User friendly on the public side. Ability to customize the platform. Cons Reporting. Can't produce the forms we need, requiring us to still use paper forms. Reason for choosing OpenGov Permitting & Licensing RI State support of the product. Review Source Talk to a Capterra advisor for free and get results within 15 minutes.