Building Permit Leads for Subcontractors (Nov 2026) | FirstBid
Permits › Building permit leads

Building permit leads for subcontractors

By the FirstBid team · Updated November 2, 2026 · How we source permit data
A building permit lead is a newly issued permit that tells you who is building, where, and what. As of November 2, 2026, FirstBid lists 338 new single-family permits issued Aug 4, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026 across five markets, each linked to the official .gov record.

Live permit counts by market

MarketNew SF permitsIssued
Austin, TX165Aug 4, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026
Miami-Dade County, FL60Aug 4, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026
Orlando, FL21Aug 11, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026
Raleigh-Cary, NC55Aug 4, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026
Tallahassee-Leon County, FL37Aug 5, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026

Counted November 2, 2026 from the permits on each board.

How to work a permit lead

  1. Pick permits issued in the last few days. Older permits usually have their trades set.
  2. Open the official record and check related trade permits. If yours isn't pulled, the job may still be open.
  3. Look up the builder of record and how many other permits they have. Repeat builders are worth a relationship.
  4. Call or email the builder's office with a short, specific note about that address.

Each market has its own portal and quirks: Austin, Miami-Dade, Orlando, Raleigh, Tallahassee. The general walkthrough is how to search building permits.

Permit leads by trade

HVACBuilder work as a hvac subElectricalBuilder work as a electrical subPlumbingBuilder work as a plumbing subRoofingBuilder work as a roofing subSolarBuilder work as a solar sub

Skip the portal filtering

Every morning the boards pull new permits from the official sources and show the builder of record.

See today's permits · $19

Focused on new homes specifically? Read new construction leads. Suppliers: Austin, Miami-Dade, Orlando, Raleigh, Tallahassee.

Questions contractors ask

What are building permit leads?

Building permit leads are jobs you find from newly issued permits. A permit names the address, the work and the contractor of record, so a sub can contact the builder before trades are set. FirstBid lists 338 new single-family permits across five markets as of November 2, 2026.

Where do building permit leads come from?

They come from public records. Cities and counties publish issued permits on their permit portals and open data sites. Every lead on FirstBid links to the official .gov record it came from, such as Austin's AB+C or Miami-Dade RER, as of November 2, 2026.

Are building permit leads worth it for subcontractors?

They are most useful when they are fresh. Builders lock in trades soon after the building permit issues, so the first sub to call has the best shot. Check whether electrical, mechanical or plumbing permits are already pulled before you call.

How do I get building permit leads for free?

Search your city's official permit portal by permit type and issue date. Each FirstBid city page explains the exact steps for its portal. The free route takes time each week; a daily board does the filtering for you. Steps were checked on November 2, 2026.