Best Permit to Work App for UK Contractors (2026)

Paper permit books have been the standard on UK construction and maintenance sites for decades. They work — but if you have ever tried to track down a permit from three weeks ago, read someone's handwriting in the rain, or get an authoriser's signature when they are on another site, you know the limitations.

A permit to work app moves the entire process to a phone or tablet. Permits are created, approved, and closed digitally, with automatic timestamps and a permanent audit trail. For small and mid-sized UK contractors, the question is no longer whether to go digital — it is which app to choose.

Why a mobile app beats paper

The case for a permit to work app is straightforward:

Speed. Creating a permit on paper means finding the permit book, filling in every field by hand, walking to the authoriser, getting their signature, and making a copy. On an app, the permit holder fills in structured fields, taps submit, and the authoriser approves from wherever they are — on site, in the office, or in their van.

Completeness. Paper permits rely on the user to remember every section. A well-designed app enforces mandatory fields. If the checklist is not complete, the permit cannot be submitted. If the close-out is not signed, the system flags it.

Legibility. This sounds trivial, but illegible handwriting is a genuine problem during incident investigations and HSE inspections. Digital text is always readable.

Audit trail. Every action in an app — creation, approval, amendment, close-out — is automatically time-stamped and stored. When an auditor asks for your permits from last month, you can export them in seconds rather than digging through a filing cabinet.

Accessibility. Permits are available to everyone who needs them, in real time. The site manager, the principal contractor, and the client can all see active permits without physically visiting the permit book.

What to look for in a permit to work app

Not all PTW apps are created equal. Some are enterprise platforms designed for oil refineries and chemical plants, with pricing and complexity to match. Others are generic form builders that happen to have a permit template. Here is what actually matters for a UK contractor:

HSE-aligned permit structures

The app should follow the standard permit structure described in HSG250: permit identification, hazard identification, precautions checklist, dual-signature authorisation, and close-out. If the app does not enforce dual signatures (applicant and authoriser), it is not really a permit system — it is a form.

Multiple permit types

At a minimum, you need hot work, confined space entry, electrical isolation, and working at height permits. Ideally, the app should also support a general permit to work for other high-risk tasks. Each type should have its own relevant checklist rather than a one-size-fits-all form.

Works on mobile, not just desktop

This seems obvious, but many older PTW systems are desktop-only or have mobile interfaces that are painful to use on a small screen. Your team will be creating permits on muddy sites, often in poor weather, wearing gloves. The app needs to work properly on a phone — not just technically function on one.

Offline capability

UK construction sites are not known for reliable Wi-Fi. If the app requires a constant internet connection to create or approve a permit, it will fail exactly when you need it. Look for apps that allow offline creation and sync when connectivity returns.

Digital signatures

A permit requires signatures from the applicant and the authoriser. The app should capture these digitally with timestamps — not just a typed name, but an actual signature or a secure approval action tied to a logged-in user account.

PDF export

You will need to share permits with principal contractors, clients, and occasionally HSE inspectors. The app should export individual permits or batches as professional, readable PDFs.

Reasonable pricing

Enterprise PTW platforms can cost £500 to £2,000+ per month. For a contractor with 5 to 30 operatives, that is hard to justify. Look for tools with transparent, flat-rate pricing — ideally with a free tier so you can evaluate before committing.

What to avoid

Generic form builders. Tools like Google Forms or Jotform can technically create a permit form, but they lack enforcement of the dual-signature workflow, have no concept of permit status (active, closed, expired), and provide no real audit trail. They are better than nothing, but they are not a PTW system.

Enterprise-only platforms. If the vendor's smallest plan is designed for 500 users and requires a three-month onboarding programme, it is not built for you. These tools are designed for petrochemical plants and large industrial facilities, and their complexity and cost reflect that.

Apps with no UK focus. Permit to work requirements vary by jurisdiction. An app designed for Australian or American regulations may use different terminology, reference different standards, and miss UK-specific requirements. Check that the vendor understands HSE guidance and UK construction regulations.

How to evaluate: a practical checklist

Before committing to a permit to work app, run through this checklist:

• [ ] Does it support the permit types you need (hot work, confined space, height, electrical)?
• [ ] Does it enforce dual-signature authorisation?
• [ ] Can you create and approve permits on a mobile phone?
• [ ] Does it work offline or with poor connectivity?
• [ ] Can you export permits as PDFs?
• [ ] Is the pricing transparent and affordable for your team size?
• [ ] Is it designed for the UK market with HSE-aligned templates?
• [ ] Can you try it for free before paying?

If the answer to most of these is yes, you have a serious contender.

PermitPad: built for small UK contractors

PermitPad is a permit to work app designed specifically for small and mid-sized UK contractors. It includes HSE-aligned templates for hot work, confined space, working at height, electrical isolation, and general permits — each with guided checklists and mandatory dual-signature workflows.

Permits are created on any phone, tablet, or computer. Authorisers approve via notification. Every permit is time-stamped, stored, and exportable as a PDF. The free plan includes 2 users and 5 permits per month, and paid plans use flat-rate pricing starting from £35 per month — no per-user fees that punish you for growing your team.

If you are still using paper permit books and have been thinking about switching, PermitPad is worth a look. You can sign up free and issue your first permit in under five minutes, without a sales call or a training session. See pricing plans.