# Building Permit & Project Intelligence Tracker (`ramsford/building-permit-tracker`) Actor

Monitors building permit applications and approvals across major US city open-data portals. Returns structured permit records with contractor, owner, address, type, valuation, and status — ideal for B2B lead generation in construction, real estate, and related verticals.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/ramsford/building-permit-tracker.md
- **Developed by:** [Don Johnson](https://apify.com/ramsford) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation
- **Stats:** 5 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $100.00 / 1,000 permit records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Building Permit & Project Intelligence Tracker

Monitor building permit applications and approvals across major US city open-data portals. Returns structured permit records ideal for B2B lead generation in construction, real estate, and related industries.

### What It Does

Connects to official municipal open-data APIs (primarily Socrata-based city portals) and returns permit records including:

- **Contractor name** — identify active contractors bidding on new work
- **Owner/applicant** — track who is building or renovating
- **Address** — geographic filtering and territory management
- **Permit type** — new construction, addition, renovation, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and more
- **Estimated valuation** — filter by project size
- **Permit status** — applied, approved, inspection, final

### Who Uses This

| Customer | Use Case |
|---|---|
| General contractors | Find bidding opportunities before public announcement |
| Subcontractors (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) | Discover new project leads by trade type |
| Building materials suppliers | Anticipate future material demand |
| Real estate developers | Track competitive construction activity |
| Architecture firms | Monitor market activity and competitor projects |
| Insurance companies | Identify new construction for underwriting leads |

### Supported Cities

| City | State | Data Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | IL | City of Chicago Open Data |
| Houston | TX | Houston Open Data |
| Phoenix | AZ | Phoenix Open Data |
| Philadelphia | PA | CARTO / City of Philadelphia |
| San Antonio | TX | San Antonio Open Data |
| Dallas | TX | Dallas Open Data |
| San Jose | CA | San Jose Open Data |
| Austin | TX | Austin Open Data |
| Seattle | WA | Seattle Open Data |
| Denver | CO | Denver Open Data |
| Portland | OR | Portland Open Data |

### Input Parameters

```json
{
    "cities": ["chicago", "houston", "phoenix", "philadelphia", "san antonio"],
    "permitTypes": [],
    "minValuation": 0,
    "daysBack": 7
}
```

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `cities` | array | 5 major cities | City names to scan (lowercase) |
| `permitTypes` | array | \[] (all) | Filter by type: `new_construction`, `addition`, `renovation`, `alteration`, `demolition`, `electrical`, `plumbing`, `hvac`, `roofing`, `fence`, `pool`, `sign` |
| `minValuation` | integer | 0 | Minimum estimated project value in USD |
| `daysBack` | integer | 7 | How many days back to scan |

### Output Format

Each permit record:

```json
{
    "permitNumber": "B2024-01234",
    "city": "Chicago, IL",
    "cityKey": "chicago",
    "address": "123 W Michigan Ave",
    "permitType": "new_construction",
    "permitTypeRaw": "NEW CONSTRUCTION - COMMERCIAL",
    "workDescription": "New 5-story mixed-use building with retail on ground floor",
    "contractor": "ABC Construction LLC",
    "owner": "Midwest Development Corp",
    "valuation": 2500000,
    "status": "permit issued",
    "latitude": 41.8826,
    "longitude": -87.6226,
    "scrapedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
    "sourceUrl": "https://data.cityofchicago.org/resource/ydr8-ztqk.json"
}
```

The final record in each run is a `_type: "digest"` summary:

```json
{
    "_type": "digest",
    "generatedAt": "2024-01-15T10:35:00.000Z",
    "parameters": { "cities": ["chicago", "houston"], "permitTypes": [], "minValuation": 50000, "daysBack": 7 },
    "summary": {
        "citiesScanned": 2,
        "totalPermits": 847,
        "byCity": { "Chicago, IL": 412, "Houston, TX": 435 },
        "byType": { "new_construction": 89, "renovation": 312, "electrical": 201, "plumbing": 245 }
    }
}
```

### Example Run: New Construction Leads, $500K+

**Input:**

```json
{
    "cities": ["chicago", "houston", "phoenix", "dallas", "austin"],
    "permitTypes": ["new_construction", "addition"],
    "minValuation": 500000,
    "daysBack": 7
}
```

**Sample output record:**

```json
{
    "permitNumber": "H2024-089341",
    "city": "Houston, TX",
    "address": "4400 Post Oak Pkwy",
    "permitType": "new_construction",
    "workDescription": "New commercial office building, 12 stories, 180,000 sqft",
    "contractor": "Turner Construction Company",
    "owner": "Post Oak Development Partners LLC",
    "valuation": 45000000,
    "status": "approved",
    "scrapedAt": "2024-01-15T10:31:22.000Z"
}
```

### Example Run: HVAC/Mechanical Contractor Leads

**Input:**

```json
{
    "cities": ["chicago", "philadelphia", "seattle", "portland", "denver"],
    "permitTypes": ["hvac", "mechanical", "electrical"],
    "minValuation": 10000,
    "daysBack": 14
}
```

### Pricing

This actor uses Pay-Per-Event (PPE) billing:

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Per municipality scanned | $1.25 |
| Per permit record extracted | $0.10 |
| Per city weekly digest | $2.50 |

A typical run scanning 5 cities returning 500 permits costs approximately **$6.25 + $50.00 = ~$56.25**.

### Notes

- Data is sourced from official city open-data portals. Availability and freshness vary by city.
- Some cities update permit data daily; others weekly. The `daysBack` parameter ensures you capture all recent activity regardless of exact update cadence.
- Contractor and owner names are normalized (whitespace, common suffixes) but not deduplicated across records.
- `valuation` is the owner-reported estimated project cost, which may differ from final construction cost.

# Actor input Schema

## `cities` (type: `array`):

List of US cities to scan. Supported: chicago, houston, phoenix, philadelphia, san antonio, dallas, san jose, austin, seattle, denver, portland.

## `permitTypes` (type: `array`):

Filter by permit type(s). Leave empty to return all types. Options: new\_construction, addition, renovation, alteration, demolition, electrical, plumbing, hvac, roofing, fence, pool, sign.

## `minValuation` (type: `integer`):

Only return permits with estimated project value at or above this dollar amount. Set to 0 for all permits.

## `daysBack` (type: `integer`):

How many days back to scan from today. Default is 7 (one week).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "cities": [
    "chicago",
    "houston",
    "phoenix",
    "philadelphia",
    "san antonio"
  ],
  "permitTypes": [],
  "daysBack": 7
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "cities": [
        "chicago",
        "houston",
        "phoenix",
        "philadelphia",
        "san antonio"
    ],
    "permitTypes": [],
    "minValuation": 0,
    "daysBack": 7
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("ramsford/building-permit-tracker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "cities": [
        "chicago",
        "houston",
        "phoenix",
        "philadelphia",
        "san antonio",
    ],
    "permitTypes": [],
    "minValuation": 0,
    "daysBack": 7,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("ramsford/building-permit-tracker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "cities": [
    "chicago",
    "houston",
    "phoenix",
    "philadelphia",
    "san antonio"
  ],
  "permitTypes": [],
  "minValuation": 0,
  "daysBack": 7
}' |
apify call ramsford/building-permit-tracker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,ramsford/building-permit-tracker"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/ZCdgDqoysyexW8ylc/builds/GXnxe9Vgw0g1DNUhm/openapi.json