PermitBeam for Contractors — Find Jobs Before They Hit the Market

Every building permit is a job somebody’s about to hire for.

Right now, across your ZIP codes, homeowners are pulling renovation permits worth $50K to $500K. They need plumbers, electricians, roofers, GCs — and they haven’t started calling anyone yet. PermitBeam shows you these projects the week they’re filed, with the owner’s name and address. No lead fees. No shared leads. Just public data, delivered on Monday morning.

✓ You’re on the list. We’ll be in touch.

Lead services charge you $15–80 per lead. And share it with 5 other contractors.

Angi (formerly Angie’s List / HomeAdvisor) charges $15–80 per lead depending on the trade and market. A plumbing lead in Brooklyn runs $30–50. An HVAC lead in Manhattan runs $60–80. That same lead gets sold to 3–5 other contractors simultaneously. By the time you call, the homeowner has already talked to two competitors.

Thumbtack, Bark, and Houzz operate on the same model. You’re paying for attention, not exclusivity.

Meanwhile, every building permit filed with the NYC Department of Buildings is public record. The address, the owner’s name, the type of work, and the estimated cost are all freely available.

The problem? It’s scattered across three government databases with clunky interfaces. Nobody has time to search DOB NOW every morning before heading to a job site.

What PermitBeam does

Monitors all three NYC DOB databases, filters by your ZIP codes, and delivers a clean digest to your inbox every Monday. You see the permit before the homeowner starts calling contractors.

One job pays for years of PermitBeam.

A $200,000 gut renovation permit just expired at 45 Putnam Avenue, Brooklyn. The permit was filed 18 months ago, never renewed. That means either the project stalled or the general contractor walked off the job. Either way, that homeowner needs someone to finish the work — and they’re about to start looking.

Expired Alteration Type 1

45 Putnam Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11238 — ZIP 11238

Work Type

General Construction

Est. Cost

$200,000

Owner

Margaret Chen

Status

Expired — No Renewal

The math

PermitBeam Starter $99/mo ($1,188/yr)

Avg renovation sub (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) $15,000–$40,000

Avg lead cost from Angi/HomeAdvisor for a $30K job $50–$80/lead

PermitBeam: unlimited permits in your ZIPs Flat monthly fee

One won job = 12–30x annual return

How contractors use PermitBeam

Open your Monday digest

Every permit filed in your ZIP codes last week, with work type, estimated cost, and owner info. Filtered by the trades you care about. No noise — just the permits that match your business.

Spot the opportunities

Large renovation permits need subs. Expired permits mean someone needs to finish the work. New construction means fresh bids. You’re reading about these projects days or weeks before the homeowner starts searching for contractors online.

Reach out directly

Owner names are on every permit. Knock on the door, drop off a card, or send a letter: “I noticed you pulled a permit for electrical work at 312 Clinton Ave. I specialize in residential electrical and I’d love to give you a quote.” This isn’t a cold call. They have an active project.

Bid the job

You’re reaching out before the homeowner has even thought about finding contractors. No competition. No lead fees. No Angi bidding wars. Just a warm conversation about work they’re already planning to do — and you showed up first.

Everything you need to find the next job.

Permits

Building permits by trade and ZIP

Filtered by work type — plumbing, electrical, general construction, HVAC, roofing — so you only see permits relevant to your trade.

Budget

Estimated project costs

Every permit includes the estimated cost of work. Know the budget before you pick up the phone. A $15K bathroom remodel and a $300K gut renovation require different conversations.

Owner

Owner names and addresses

No middleman. No lead service. The owner’s name is on the permit. Reach out directly with a specific, relevant introduction.

Expired

Permit expiration alerts

Expired permits signal stalled projects and abandoned jobs. The homeowner still needs the work done. You’re the contractor who shows up and finishes it.

Proximity

Active sites near your jobs

Already working on Putnam Ave? See every permit filed within the same ZIP code. Minimize drive time by stacking nearby jobs.

Violations

ECB violations

Properties with active code violations need work done to clear them. Electrical issues, plumbing violations, structural concerns — all potential jobs that need a licensed contractor.

Every building permit is a job somebody’s about to hire for.