The Three Data Sources
PermitBeam pulls from three separate NYC Department of Buildings databases. Each serves a different purpose, and together they give a complete picture of construction and renovation activity in any ZIP code.
DOB NOW: Build
The city's current permitting system. When a contractor or property owner files for a building permit today, it goes through DOB NOW. This is where you see fresh filings — the permits that were just approved this week.
BIS (Building Information System)
The legacy database containing historical permits, certificate of occupancy records, and permit expiration data. If a permit was filed before 2020 or has reached its expiration date, BIS is where that record lives. We use this to flag expiring permits that may need renewal or inspection.
ECB (Environmental Control Board)
Active violations issued by the Department of Buildings. ECB violations include work without a permit, unsafe conditions, and code violations. For insurance agents, a violation on a property you insure is something you need to know about immediately.
All three data sources are official NYC Open Data endpoints, publicly available under the NYC Open Data Terms of Use. PermitBeam does not scrape websites, estimate values, or use third-party data brokers. Every record in your digest traces directly back to a government API response.
The Data Pipeline
Here's what happens every day, step by step:
- Daily pull: Our system queries all three APIs for new records. DOB NOW permits are checked for filings approved in the last 24 hours. BIS is checked for permits approaching expiration. ECB is checked for new violations.
- ZIP code filtering: Each record is assigned to a ZIP code based on the property address in the permit filing. Records are matched to subscriber ZIP code lists.
- Insurance relevance scoring: Every permit is scored as High, Medium, or Low based on work type and estimated cost (see scoring criteria below). This tells you which permits are most likely to represent a coverage opportunity.
- Deduplication: The same project can appear across multiple databases or be updated across multiple days. We deduplicate by BIN (Building Identification Number) and job number to prevent duplicate entries in your digest.
- Digest compilation: On your delivery day (Monday for weekly, or daily), all matching records from the period are compiled into a formatted email. High-value permits appear first. Each entry includes the property address, owner name, work description, estimated cost, and insurance relevance tier.
Insurance Relevance Scoring
Not all permits matter equally to an insurance agent. A $500 plumbing repair has a different risk profile than a $350,000 gut renovation. PermitBeam scores every permit into three tiers based on two factors: the type of work being performed and the estimated project cost.
| Tier | Criteria | Insurance Implication |
|---|---|---|
| HIGH | Renovation, addition, extension, new building, general construction, alteration, conversion, enlargement, structural work, or any project with estimated cost above $50,000 | Likely needs updated replacement cost, builder's risk policy, construction liability endorsement, or new policy entirely |
| MEDIUM | Roofing, mechanical, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, fire suppression, sprinkler, or boiler work, or any project with estimated cost between $10,000 and $50,000 | May need updated coverage limits or system-specific endorsements. Worth a check-in call to the policyholder |
| LOW | Minor repairs, cosmetic work, signage, scaffolding permits, or projects under $10,000 that don't match high or medium work types | Lower insurance impact. Useful for tracking overall activity in a ZIP code, less likely to require policy changes |
Scoring is based on the information available in the permit filing. Work descriptions are provided by the applicant and are not independently verified by PermitBeam. We recommend reviewing the original permit details before contacting a policyholder.
Data Freshness
How quickly does a filed permit appear in your PermitBeam digest?
- DOB NOW permits: 1-2 business days from the date the city approves the filing. Most permits approved on Monday appear in that week's digest.
- BIS expiring permits: Flagged 30 days before the permit's recorded expiration date. This gives you a window to reach out before work deadlines pass.
- ECB violations: 3-5 business days from when the violation is entered into the ECB system. Violations can take several days to appear in the city's API after the inspection.
The key takeaway: you are seeing permits weeks or months before most construction actually begins. The permit filing date and the construction start date are rarely the same day. This lead time is what makes permit data valuable for proactive outreach.
Known Limitations
We think transparency about what the data can and cannot tell you matters more than pretending it is perfect. Here are the known limitations:
- Incomplete cost data: Not all permit filings include an estimated project cost. When the cost field is empty or zero, PermitBeam scores based on work type alone. Roughly 15-20% of filings have no cost data.
- LLC owner names: Many NYC properties are held by LLCs. In these cases, the owner name on the permit is the LLC name (e.g., "123 Main St LLC"), not an individual. You may need to cross-reference with property records to find the actual owner.
- Self-certified permits: NYC allows licensed professionals to self-certify certain permit applications. These permits are approved immediately but may be audited later. They are included in the data like any other approved permit.
- Westchester data gaps: Westchester municipalities use the Municity5 permitting system, which has different data fields and update schedules than NYC. Coverage and data completeness vary by municipality.
- No phone numbers or email addresses: Permit data includes property addresses and owner names, but not contact information. You will need to look up contact details separately to reach out to a property owner.
How Agents Actually Use This
The most common workflow we hear from insurance agents using permit data:
- Open your Monday digest. Scan for high-value permits first. A $179,000 kitchen renovation at a residential address is a clear signal.
- Check your book. Is the property owner already your client? If so, their policy likely needs updating. If not, this is a warm lead — they have an immediate need.
- Reach out within the week. A quick call or letter: "I noticed you pulled a permit for renovation work at [address]. I wanted to make sure your coverage is up to date during construction." This is not a cold call. You are providing a service.
- Quote the gap. Renovation projects commonly need builder's risk coverage, increased replacement cost values, or liability endorsements. One policy upsell on a $179K renovation can yield $800-2,000 in annual premium.
The data is the starting point, not the finished product. PermitBeam gives you the intelligence. What you do with it is what generates revenue.
Questions About the Data
If something in a digest looks wrong or you have questions about how a specific permit was scored, reach out to hello@permitbeam.com. I read every email and can trace any record back to its source API response.