Under the hood
The software prepares. People decide.
A plain-language look at how Scaffold is designed: what each part does, where a person steps in, and how resident data is protected.
Pre-launch. This page describes the design, not a system in use.
Who does what
- PreparesThe language model
Understands the request, asks questions, drafts the packet and review notes.
- ChecksPlain code
Applies the city’s rules, removes personal data and talks to city systems.
- DecidesA person at the city
Approves, edits or rejects. No agent issues a decision.
One request, start to finish.
A building permit, step by step. The highlighted steps are the ones only a person can take.
A person confirms or decides
A software step
Resident
Describes the job in plain language, by chat or with photos of documents.
Resident agent
Looks up the city’s rules and asks only the questions that matter.
Shared layer
Checks the application packet against the city’s published requirements.
ResidentA person
Reviews the packet and confirms it. Nothing is sent before this.
City permit system
The record is created in the city’s own system.
Until a city grants access, the resident submits the checked packet through the city’s own portal.
Staff agent
Checks the file and drafts review notes, each with a citation.
City staffA person
Approve, edit or reject. The decision is theirs.
Resident agent
Reads the status and explains it to the resident in plain language.
One shared foundation.
Both agents work on top of the same layers, so they follow the same rules and leave the same record.
- RedactionPersonal data removed
Personal data is stripped before any text reaches the language model. Every model call passes through this step.
- Rules libraryVersioned and cited
Which permit applies, which documents are needed and which fees apply come from structured rules built from the city’s public sources.
- Encrypted documentsSeparate for each city
Uploads are stored encrypted, with every city kept as a separate tenant with its own keys.
- Audit logAppend-only
Every model call, tool call, document and staff decision is recorded, and the application has no way to edit or delete an entry.
- City adaptersLimited to approved access
The only part that talks to the city’s systems, and only within the access the city has approved.
What leaves Scaffold, and what doesn’t.
The language model only ever sees redacted text, the city’s systems get only what the city has approved, and card details never touch Scaffold.
Resident’s phone
Inside Scaffold
Outside Scaffold
Built-in safeguards.
Rules live in code, not prompts
The model explains and gathers information. It does not invent requirements.
A tamper-evident record
Each log entry is chained to the one before it, so a gap or change would show.
Uploads are data, not instructions
Text inside a document cannot direct the agents, and their tools only reach the current case.
Nothing changes without a yes
A city record changes only after the resident confirms, and only staff make determinations.
Card data never touches Scaffold
Residents pay fees on the city’s own payment page.
Always clear it is AI
Every chat opens by saying the resident is talking to an AI, with a person always on offer.
Useful before you grant any access.
Scaffold works beside the systems you already run and never asks you to migrate. Each city chooses how far to connect.
Level 0
Answers from the city’s public pages, with citations, and builds a checked packet the resident submits.
From the cityNothing
Level 1
Also reads status, fees, inspections and conditions.
From the cityRead access approved by your system administrator
Level 2
Also creates records, uploads documents, schedules inspections and adds staff notes.
From the cityWrite access and staff sign-off
Request a pilot
Local government is the foundation.We’re building the scaffolding.
We are onboarding pilot cities in small groups. Join the waitlist and we will be in touch.