Permit Ledger blog

Building permit guides for contractors & suppliers

Practical, data-backed guides on building permits, permit records, and turning them into renovation, solar, and remodel leads, from the team behind Permit Ledger's free weekly insights across 325 US cities.

• What Is the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)?

  AHJ is the Authority Having Jurisdiction: the local office that enforces the building code, issues permits, and inspects work. What it is and how to find yours.

• What Is a Parcel Number? Definition and How to Find It

  A parcel number (APN or parcel ID) is the unique number a county assigns to a property for tax and records. What it is, how to find yours, and why it matters.

• Unpermitted Work: What Happens If You're Caught

  Unpermitted work is construction done without a permit or inspections. What counts, how it gets discovered, what happens if caught, and how to fix it.

• Certificate of Occupancy: What It Is & How to Get One

  A certificate of occupancy (CO) is the local government's confirmation that a building is safe and legal to occupy. When you need one and how to get it.

• What Renovations Require a Building Permit? (2026)

  Structural, electrical, plumbing, and most exterior work needs a building permit; cosmetic work usually doesn't. A 2026 guide to which renovations require one.

• Are Building Permits Public Record? (2026 Guide)

  Yes, building permits are public record in all 50 states. What's included, what's redacted, how to access records for free, and how to get clean permit data.

• How to Find Building Permits Online (2026 Guide)

  Building permits are public records, but city portals are a mess. How to search permit databases, which fields matter, and how to get clean spreadsheet data.

• Building Permit Data for Contractors (Lead Source)

  Most renovation contractors overspend on ads and Angi. Building permit data pre-qualifies every lead before you make contact. How it works and why it converts.

• How to Get Renovation Leads: 7 Methods Ranked by ROI

  From Google Ads to building permit data, the most effective renovation lead generation methods for contractors, ranked by ROI with cost-per-lead estimates.

• What Data Is in a Building Permit? (Field Guide)

  Building permits hold more useful data than most contractors realize. A breakdown of every field in a typical permit, and which ones matter most for leads.

• How Roofing Contractors Use Permit Data to Win Jobs

  Roof replacement permits are publicly filed, and they arrive before a contractor is hired. The exact playbook roofers use to turn permit data into steady jobs.

• How to Find Building Permits by Zip Code (2025 Guide)

  How to search building permits by zip code using free city portals and filtered data services. Find active renovation projects in any US market, step by step.

• Building Permit Data for Lead Generation

  Building permits are the earliest signal of new project activity. How contractors and home service pros use permit data to find leads before competitors do.

• How to Look Up Building Permit History by Address

  How to find the complete building permit history for any US property. For homebuyers checking for unpermitted work, investors weighing risk, and contractors.

• Shovels vs BuildZoom vs Construction Monitor (2026)

  Comparing Shovels.ai, BuildZoom, and ConstructionMonitor side by side: coverage, pricing, use cases, and who each is built for. Plus where Permit Ledger fits.

• What Is a Building Permit? Definition & Types

  A building permit is official government authorization to begin construction. What permits cover, who needs them, common types, and how permit data gets used.

• The Best Cities for Renovation Permit Volume in 2026

  Ranked: the US cities with the highest residential renovation permit volume in 2026. Where contractors and investors should focus their permit-data marketing.

• Build a Direct Mail List from Building Permits

  Step-by-step: how to turn raw building-permit data into a CASS-certified, suppression-checked direct mail list for contractor outreach in 2026.

• Building Permit Data for Solar Installers (Guide)

  How solar installers use building-permit data to find solar-ready roofs, target adoption clusters, and skip the $300+ paid-lead model. A practical playbook.

• How Investors Use Permit Data to Find Deals

  The investor's permit-data playbook: spotting active flippers, finding stalled or distressed renovation deals, and building a buyers list from public records.

• How to Get HVAC Leads from Building Permits

  How HVAC contractors use building-permit data for AC, furnace, and heat pump leads, adjacency mailing, warranty pitches, and competitor intelligence.

• New Hanover County, NC Building Permits: Who Issues

  New Hanover County Building Safety issues permits across the county, including in Wilmington and Carolina Beach. How to find and track records.

• Hillsborough County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues

  In Hillsborough County, FL the county permits unincorporated areas while Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City run their own building departments.

• Los Angeles County, CA Building Permits: Who Issues

  LA County Building and Safety permits unincorporated areas through EPIC-LA. The City of LA and 88 other cities run their own building departments.

• Pasco County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Pasco County Building Construction Services permits unincorporated areas via PascoGateway. Cities like Zephyrhills and Dade City run their own.

• Polk County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Polk County's Building Division permits unincorporated areas, while Lakeland, Winter Haven, and Bartow run their own building departments.

• Miami-Dade County Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Miami-Dade County's RER department permits unincorporated areas, while cities like Miami and Hialeah run their own building departments.

• Montgomery County, MD Building Permits Guide

  How Montgomery County, MD building permits work: the county department that issues them, which cities run their own, and how to look up records.

• Charlotte County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  How Charlotte County, FL building permits work: the county department that issues them, where Punta Gorda differs, and how to look up records.

• Pinellas County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  How Pinellas County, FL building permits work: the county department that issues them, which cities run their own, and how to look up records.

• Brevard County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  How Brevard County, FL building permits work: the county department that issues them, which cities run their own, and how to look up records.

• Clay County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  How Clay County, FL building permits work: the county division that issues them, which towns run their own, and how to look up records.

• Riverside County, CA Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  How Riverside County, CA building permits work: the county department that covers unincorporated land, which cities run their own, and how to look up records.

• Maricopa County, AZ Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Maricopa County's Planning and Development Department issues building permits for unincorporated areas only. Who covers what, and how to look up permits.

• Hernando County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Hernando County's Building Division issues permits for unincorporated areas. The City of Brooksville runs its own. How to look up permits in the county.

• Citrus County, FL Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Citrus County's Building Division issues permits for unincorporated areas. Inverness and Crystal River run their own. How to look up permits.

• DeKalb County, GA Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  DeKalb County's permits division issues permits for unincorporated areas. Decatur, Brookhaven, and Dunwoody run their own. How to look them up.

• Pierce County, WA Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Pierce County's Development Center issues permits for unincorporated areas. Tacoma, Puyallup, and Lakewood run their own. How to look them up.

• Clermont County, OH Building Permits: Who Issues Them

  Clermont County's Building Inspection Department issues permits for townships and most cities. How to look up permits in the county.

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