United Kingdom · Legal · Senior (5-8 years)

Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandSenior (5-8 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toLead Land Use Strategist
  • UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Senior Land Use Analyst · Senior Entitlement Coordinator · Planning Consultant (Legal) · Senior Legal Planning Officer

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

ABBE Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Conservation Awarding Body for the Built Environment · Level 6 · covers 8 of 10 standards
Pearson Edexcel Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Construction Management (Sustainability) Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 3 of 10 standards
ABBE Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Building Control Awarding Body for the Built Environment · Level 6 · covers 2 of 10 standards
ABBE Level 6 Diploma in Building Conservation Awarding Body for the Built Environment · Level 6 · covers 2 of 10 standards
SMART AWARDS L6 NVQ in CONSTRUCTION SITE MANAGEMENT - HIGHWAYS MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR Smart Awards Ltd · Level 6 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Prepare applications to secure statutory consents in planning and conservation ABBE Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Conservation
Planning activities to traditional and heritage buildings and structures in the workplace NOCN Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Construction Site Management (Construction)
Planning Conservation Activities in Construction and the Built Environment Pearson Edexcel Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Construction Management (Sustainability)
Evaluate and resolve disputes in planning, conservation and building control ABBE Level 6 NVQ Diploma in Building Control
Develop and advise on conservation, repair and maintenance strategies and solutions ABBE Level 6 Diploma in Building Conservation

The future skills this job leans on

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist

5 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Prepare applications to secure statutory consents in planning and conservation Awarding Body for the Built Environment · covers 8 of 10 standards Level 6
  2. Planning activities to traditional and heritage buildings and structures in the workplace NOCN · covers 4 of 10 standards Level 6
  3. Planning Conservation Activities in Construction and the Built Environment Pearson Education Ltd · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 5
  4. Evaluate and resolve disputes in planning, conservation and building control Awarding Body for the Built Environment · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 6
  5. Develop and advise on conservation, repair and maintenance strategies and solutions Awarding Body for the Built Environment · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 6
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skill this role is being asked for

  • Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

3What this role really is

A Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist handles complex land use applications and guides clients through local government approvals. This work involves leading workstreams and often means representing clients directly before planning commissions. The role combines project management with technical expertise, checking that everything is sound before it reaches a solicitor.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

ArcGIS Pro / QGIS (GIS Software) Advanced

Conducting complex overlay analysis, creating custom thematic maps for hearings, managing geodatabases, and training junior staff on GIS basics. You'll be using this to visualise and analyse property data.

Westlaw / LexisNexis (Legal Research) Advanced

Independently building complex Boolean queries, setting up alerts for new legislation, and tracing the legislative history of a zoning ordinance. You'll be digging deep into legal precedents.

iManage Work / NetDocuments (Document Management System) Advanced

Building complex folder structures, managing ethical walls for sensitive projects, and using advanced search functions to conduct discovery-like research across matters. Keeping everything organised and secure.

Accela / Tyler Technologies (Permitting Portals) Expert

Expertly navigating multiple complex municipal systems, troubleshooting submission errors, and advising clients on portal-specific requirements. You'll be the resident expert on how to get things through the digital bureaucracy.

Clio / MyCase / Asana (Case/Project Management) Advanced

Managing the entire lifecycle of multiple complex cases, creating detailed project plans, delegating tasks to junior staff, and generating comprehensive status reports for solicitors and clients. Keeping projects on track.

MS Word (Advanced) Expert

Mastering Word's automatic Table of Authorities/Contents, creating automated templates with macros for legal documents, and ensuring consistent formatting for all submissions. Your documents need to look professional and be perfectly structured.

MS Excel Advanced

Using pivot tables for data analysis (e.g., parking demand, density calculations), building complex trackers for deadlines and application fees, and creating simple financial models for project pro formas. You'll be crunching numbers to support your arguments.

MS PowerPoint Advanced

Designing persuasive and visually clear PowerPoint decks for public hearings, client presentations, and internal training sessions. Your presentations need to be impactful and easy to understand.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Application Pathway Selection Proposes options to supervisor for review and decision. Recommends preferred pathway to supervisor, implements after approval. Defines and implements the optimal entitlement strategy, consulting Lead Strategist on novel or high-risk approaches.
Public Hearing Presentation Prepares slides and talking points for supervisor/solicitor to present. Presents routine cases (e.g., minor variances) with solicitor present. Leads presentations for complex cases, often as the primary presenter, with or without a solicitor, and handles Q&A from commissioners.
Client Communication (Technical Advice) Drafts responses for supervisor review, participates in client calls. Communicates routine updates and answers technical questions independently. Provides direct, expert technical advice to clients on complex planning matters, managing expectations and advising on strategic options.
Project Budget Allocation (External Consultants) Identifies need for consultants, supervisor approves budget. Requests quotes, recommends consultant, supervisor approves up to £5K. Recommends and justifies consultant spend up to £10K per project, with final approval from Lead Strategist.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Discretionary Approval Rate
Percentage of complex planning applications (rezonings, special permits, major variances) that receive approval.
Target · Achieve >90% success rate on all discretionary cases managed.

If you manage 10 rezoning applications in a quarter and 9 get approved, that's a 90% success rate. We're looking for consistent wins here.

Project Timeline Adherence
Percentage of projects that meet their originally projected hearing dates or approval milestones.
Target · 85% of projects proceed to hearing on their originally projected timeline, absent external delays.

You estimated a rezoning would go to Planning Commission in September. If it does, great. If it slips to October because of internal issues, that's a miss. If it's because the Council changed their calendar, that's an external delay.

Administrative Error Rate
Number of application packages returned or rejected by municipal staff due to administrative or technical errors.
Target · Maintain <2% error rate on all submissions.

Submitting 50 applications in a quarter and only one gets kicked back for a missing signature or incorrect fee. That's the standard we expect.

Mentee Development & Retention
The progress and continued engagement of junior team members you're mentoring.
Target · All mentees demonstrate measurable skill growth and remain with the team for at least 12 months.

Your mentee, who started by just compiling documents, can now independently draft a variance application and present it internally for review. They're also still happily working here.

Strategic Counsel & Problem Solving
Your ability to anticipate hurdles, develop creative solutions, and provide sound advice to the lead solicitor and clients.
  • You're regularly consulted by solicitors on complex issues before they escalate. You proactively flag potential political issues or code interpretations that could derail a project. You propose alternative entitlement pathways when the obvious one hits a wall.
Client & Stakeholder Trust
The level of confidence clients and external stakeholders (e.g., planning staff) have in your expertise and project management.
  • Clients ask for you by name. Municipal planning staff are responsive to your queries and see you as a reliable point of contact. You're asked to represent the firm at pre-application meetings or even public hearings without a solicitor present.
Quality of Public Presentations
The clarity, persuasiveness, and effectiveness of your presentations to planning commissions and other public bodies.
  • Positive feedback from lead solicitors and clients on your presentation style. Commissioners understand the project details and key arguments you present. Your presentations help secure approvals, even on contentious projects.
Knowledge Sharing & Team Contribution
How well you share your expertise and contribute to the overall knowledge base and effectiveness of the land use team.
  • You regularly contribute to internal training sessions or develop best practice guides. You're the person junior team members turn to first for advice. You actively participate in team discussions, offering insights from your project experience.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Solving Complex Puzzles

You love diving into a dense zoning code or a complicated property history to unearth the key piece of information that unlocks a project. It's like being a detective for land use.

Spending an afternoon tracing the legislative history of a specific ordinance through council minutes from the 1980s to understand its true intent and find a loophole.

Tangible Impact & Seeing Projects Built

There's a real satisfaction in driving a project through the approval process and then, a few years later, seeing a new building or development that you helped make happen. Your work isn't abstract; it's concrete.

Driving past a newly completed housing estate or retail park and knowing you played a crucial role in getting it off the ground, despite all the hurdles.

Navigating Political & Bureaucratic Systems

You enjoy the challenge of understanding how local government really works, not just on paper, but in practice—the personalities, the unwritten rules, the political currents. It's a game you like to play and win.

Successfully negotiating a tricky condition of approval with a cautious planning officer, or subtly influencing a council member's perspective before a critical vote.

What frustrates people
  • The Subjective Code: Battling vague, unquantifiable code requirements like 'development must be harmonious with the character of the surrounding area,' which can be weaponised by opponents.
  • The Moving Goalposts: After months of addressing every concern in the staff report, a commissioner raises a brand-new, substantive issue for the first time during the final vote.
  • The Interdepartmental Black Hole: When your project's approval is held up for weeks because it's sitting in an anonymous review queue in the Public Works or Fire Marshal's office.
  • Political Whiplash: Having the full support of the professional planning staff and Planning Commission, only to be denied by the City Council for purely political reasons before an election.
  • Client Education Loop: Repeatedly explaining to a sophisticated business client why this process takes nine months, why they can't just talk to the mayor, and why a traffic study is not optional.
  • NIMBY Warfare: Facing organised, well-funded opposition that relies on emotional arguments and factual distortions to try and kill a perfectly compliant and beneficial project.
  • The Portal of Doom: Wasting hours trying to submit a 200MB file through a municipal online portal that was clearly designed in 1998 and crashes if you look at it wrong.
What this role does not give you
  • A predictable, linear workflow where every task has a clear start and end.
  • An environment free from political interference or public scrutiny.
  • Immediate gratification on every project; some approvals take years.
  • A role where you only deal with clear, black-and-white legal interpretations.

8Who you work with

This role is absolutely critical for the firm's land use practice. You're the engine that drives project approvals, directly contributing to client satisfaction and the firm's reputation for getting complex deals done. Your ability to manage multiple projects efficiently and successfully means more billable hours and stronger client relationships for the entire team.

Inside the business
  • Lead Land Use Strategist
  • Senior Solicitors (Property & Real Estate)
  • Junior Planning and Zoning Specialists
  • Legal Assistants
Outside the business
  • Local Planning Officers (Council)
  • Planning Commissioners & City Councillors
  • Property Developers & Investors (Clients)
  • Civil Engineers & Architects (Client Consultants)
  • Neighbourhood Associations & Community Groups

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 5 years of dedicated experience in planning and zoning, land use, or a closely related legal/consulting field, with a proven track record of managing complex projects.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple projects, often with competing deadlines, from inception to completion.
  • Experience presenting to public bodies (e.g., planning commissions, community groups) and effectively articulating project details and legal arguments.
  • A strong understanding of GIS software for property analysis and mapping, beyond just basic lookups.
  • Proven ability to mentor junior staff or guide less experienced colleagues through complex tasks.
  • A degree in Town Planning, Urban Studies, Geography, Law, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience that clearly demonstrates the required knowledge and skills.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration for Legal Research

Competitors are already using Large Language Models (LLMs) to draft initial legal memos, summarise case law, and extract key clauses from ordinances in minutes. Analysts who figure this out will outproduce peers significantly. Your value shifts to validating outputs and knowing when not to trust the AI.

Context Windows & Token Limits · Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) · Output Validation & Hallucination Detection · Prompt Chaining for Complex Tasks

  • This week: Set up an account with ChatGPT or Claude. Start using it to summarise long emails or draft initial outlines for non-confidential documents.
  • This month: Experiment with using AI to extract specific clauses or definitions from public zoning ordinances. Compare its accuracy to manual methods.
  • Month 2: Research RAG architectures and discuss with our IT team how we might integrate LLMs with our internal DMS for secure legal research.
  • Month 3: Develop a 'validation checklist' for AI-generated legal summaries or drafts, and share it with the team for feedback.

Quick win: Start using AI to draft initial email responses or to summarise long internal reports today. No approval needed, immediate benefit to your time.

Advanced GIS Automation & Scripting

Routine GIS tasks, like generating hundreds of public notice maps or calculating precise development metrics across multiple parcels, are ripe for automation. Knowing how to script these tasks in Python (ArcPy) will free up significant time and reduce human error.

Python Fundamentals · ArcPy Library · ModelBuilder to Python Conversion · Batch Processing & Iteration

  • This month: Complete an online Python for GIS course, focusing on ArcPy basics or QGIS PyQGIS.
  • Next month: Identify one repetitive GIS task you do weekly (e.g., generating radius maps) and try to automate a small part of it with a script.
  • Month 3: Work with a junior colleague to build a simple tool in ArcGIS Pro that automates a common mapping request.
  • Month 4: Present your automation efforts to the team, demonstrating the time savings and improved accuracy.

Quick win: Start recording simple tasks in ArcGIS Pro's Python window to see the generated code. It's a great way to learn by doing.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend RTPI or Law Society seminars and webinars on planning law updates, case law, and policy changes.
  • Participate in local planning authority workshops or stakeholder engagement sessions to stay current with local policy nuances and political currents.
  • Take advanced courses in GIS, data visualisation, or legal technology to enhance your technical toolkit.
  • Engage with industry publications and thought leadership from organisations like the Planning Officers Society or the UK Environmental Law Association.
  • Mentor junior colleagues and actively participate in internal knowledge-sharing sessions to solidify your expertise and contribute to team growth.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation

Planning decisions are increasingly data-driven, but raw data rarely sways a council. The ability to translate complex planning data (e.g., traffic studies, demographic shifts, economic impacts) into compelling, easy-to-understand narratives and visualisations will be crucial for winning approvals and communicating value. Frankly, a good chart can be more persuasive than a hundred pages of text.

  • Principles of Visual Perception
  • Narrative Structure in Data
  • Interactive Dashboards
  • Ethical Data Presentation

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Statutory Interpretation & Ordinance Analysis
  • Entitlement Strategy & Process Management
  • Due Diligence & Feasibility Reporting
  • Administrative Record Development
  • Public Hearing & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Site Plan & Technical Document Review

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Mid-Level Planning & Zoning Specialist (Internal Promotion)

    3-5 years

    Skills to master

    • Independently managing routine cases (variances, simple special permits), building strong relationships with local planning staff, and consistently delivering accurate application packages.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently achieving high approval rates for routine applications.
    • Proactively identifying and proposing solutions to project issues.
    • Demonstrating strong organisational skills across multiple projects.
    • Showing initiative in taking on more complex tasks and seeking mentorship.
  2. 2

    Planning Consultant (Private Sector)

    5-7 years

    Skills to master

    • Client relationship management, project coordination across multi-disciplinary teams (engineers, architects), and developing initial entitlement strategies.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Experience managing projects with significant client interaction.
    • A portfolio of successful planning approvals for diverse project types.
    • Strong understanding of the commercial drivers behind development projects.
    • Ability to work autonomously and manage project budgets effectively.
  3. 3

    Senior Planning Officer (Local Authority)

    5-8 years

    Skills to master

    • Deep understanding of local government internal processes, experience drafting committee reports, and managing a caseload of complex planning applications.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven experience working within a local planning authority.
    • Familiarity with the political decision-making process in local government.
    • Experience in presenting recommendations to planning committees.
    • Strong knowledge of planning policy and enforcement procedures.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to managing a land use team, or to a director role setting direction for a land use practice.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Prepare applications to secure statutory consents in planning and conservation, worked against Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist.

Prepare applications to secure statutory consents in planning and conservation Level 6

Applied to your work in Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist

1. To enable the learner to critically analyse the legislative and policy framework governing statutory consents in planning and conservation. 2. To enable the learner to accurately identify specific aspects of a project requiring statutory controls and consents. 3. To enable the learner to select and compile all necessary technical information, plans, and supporting documentation for diverse application types. 4. To enable the learner to complete complex application forms and draft professional statements of justification, adhering to specific consent requirements. 5. To enable the learner to navigate the submission procedures and timelines for statutory consents, anticipating potential challenges and engaging with relevant authorities.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist
  • Statutory Interpretation & Ordinance Analysis
  • Entitlement Strategy & Process Management
  • Due Diligence & Feasibility Reporting
  • Administrative Record Development
  • Public Hearing & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Site Plan & Technical Document Review
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Lead Land Use Strategist (L4)

    3-5 years

    This is a significant step up, moving from leading projects to architecting the overall strategy for the firm's most critical and high-value land use matters. You'll also take on direct reports.

    • Advanced Political Navigation Influencing senior stakeholders and navigating highly sensitive political environments.
    • Budget Management Overseeing project budgets up to £50K-£500K, including external consultant spend.
    • Complex Problem Framing Defining solutions for novel, ambiguous land use challenges with no clear precedent.
    • Cross-Practice Collaboration Working closely with other legal departments (e.g., environmental, property finance) to offer integrated client solutions.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Imagine having a highly efficient, tireless assistant who can sift through mountains of documents, predict outcomes, and draft summaries in minutes. That's what AI can do for a Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist. We're not talking about replacing your expertise, but about supercharging your productivity so you can focus on the strategic, high-value work that only a human can do.

The legal sector, especially in land use, is ripe for AI transformation. From analysing complex ordinances to summarising public comments, AI tools are already here to take the grunt work off your plate. At Zavmo, we're building an AI Productivity Hub specifically for legal professionals, and here’s a sneak peek at how it’ll make your life easier.

Automated Ordinance Analysis

Instantly scan a 500-page zoning code to extract every regulation related to setbacks, height, and parking for a specific zoning district, flagging internal contradictions. This means less manual searching and more time for interpretation. Time savings: 4-6 hours per project.

AI-Powered Feasibility Scan

Generate a preliminary property 'red flag' report by having AI cross-reference GIS data, tax records, FEMA flood maps, and recent zoning decisions in the immediate vicinity. Get a quick overview of potential issues before you even start digging deep. Time savings: 3-5 hours per property.

Hearing Prep Briefing Generator

Feed AI past meeting minutes and voting records to generate a predictive brief on each planning commissioner, highlighting their known 'hot-button' issues and likely questions. Walk into that hearing feeling much more prepared. Time savings: 2-4 hours per hearing.

Public Comment Summariser

When a controversial project receives 200 public comment emails, AI can instantly categorise them by theme (traffic, noise, environment) and identify the top three concerns to address in your hearing presentation. No more slogging through hundreds of emails manually. Time savings: 5-10 hours per controversial project.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist?

Common routes in include Mid-Level Planning & Zoning Specialist (Internal Promotion) (3-5 years), Planning Consultant (Private Sector) (5-7 years) and Senior Planning Officer (Local Authority) (5-8 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist progress to?

This role can lead on to Lead Land Use Strategist (3-5 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist?

Increasingly, Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 5

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

More jobs in legal

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

Knowledge of planning law, policy and regulatory processes carries across property and legal sectors. It can lead to senior roles in property development companies, infrastructure firms, environmental consultancies, or back into local government in a policy or leadership role.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Senior Planning and Zoning Specialist plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.