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🏗️ Building Permit OSINT: What Permits Reveal and Where to Search
Every permit puts a name, a business or a date on a place. Here is what the records show, where to search them free, what Shovels adds, and what your own permits give away.
Quick answer: A building permit is a public record of work on a property. It names the address, the work, its value, the dates and the contractor. Many cities also list the owner. Big cities publish them as open data you can query free. Shovels gathers them nationwide in one search, with a small free tier.
What a permit record shows
Fields vary by city, but most permits carry the same core. We read the field lists of five big-city datasets on 4 November.
- Place: street address, often a parcel number and coordinates. Seattle and Los Angeles both publish latitude and longitude Seattle Open Data, Building Permits (read 4 Nov 2026) LA Open Data, building permits issued 2020 to present (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Work: permit type and a free-text description written by the applicant.
- Money: the declared job value and the fees paid. Los Angeles calls it valuation; Seattle calls it estimated project cost LA Open Data, building permits issued 2020 to present (read 4 Nov 2026) Seattle Open Data, Building Permits (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Dates: applied, issued, expired and completed. Chicago’s dataset was current to 3 November when we queried it City of Chicago, Building Permits dataset (queried 4 Nov 2026).
- People and firms: the contractor, the architect or engineer, and sometimes the owner. Chicago lists up to 15 contacts per permit, each with a role and a city City of Chicago, Building Permits dataset (queried 4 Nov 2026).
New York goes furthest. Its older DOB permit dataset lists the owner’s name, business name and mailing address, plus the permittee’s phone NYC Open Data, DOB Permit Issuance (read 4 Nov 2026). The newer DOB NOW dataset also lists the owner’s name and street address NYC Open Data, DOB NOW: Build approved permits (read 4 Nov 2026).
Where to search
| Source | Covers | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| City open data portals | Large cities: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and others | Free | Full records, bulk queries and exports. Raw fields, including contacts. |
| City or county permit portal | Most US cities and counties, one at a time | Free | Smaller places with no open data. Search the city name plus “permit search”. |
| Shovels | 2,770+ jurisdictions, about 85% of the US population Sacra, Shovels company profile (read 4 Nov 2026) | Free tier, then paid | One search across many cities. Contractor histories. Unfamiliar places. |
| Records request | Anything the portal leaves out: plans, inspections, old files | Free to low | Older permits, right-of-way permits, correspondence. |
City open data
The big-city datasets run on the same open-data platform, so one query style works across them. Each has a web table you can filter, and an API. This query lists Chicago tenant build-outs issued since 1 September:
https://data.cityofchicago.org/resource/ydr8-5enu.json?$where=upper(work_description) like '%TENANT%' AND issue_date > '2026-09-01'&$limit=50
Swap the dataset address and field names for another city. Field names differ, so read the column list on the dataset page first.
Shovels
Shovels collects permits from city and county portals and cleans them into one format. It reports about 178 million permits after removing licensed third-party data in 2026 Sacra, Shovels company profile (read 4 Nov 2026). Its own data page still says “202M+” Shovels, permit data (read 4 Nov 2026). History usually goes back to 2010, and the data refreshes twice a month Shovels, permit data (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Records: status with a date for each stage, job value, the original description, AI work-type tags, the contractor and a geocoded address Shovels, permit data (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Contractors: about 3.65 million profiles, searchable by the permits they pulled Sacra, Shovels company profile (read 4 Nov 2026) Shovels docs, how Shovels Online works (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Residents: a separate dataset of “residents and homeowners tied to properties, with contacts” Shovels, permit data (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Free tier: 500 credits a month, one year of history and 10 results per search. Export is not included Shovels, pricing (read 4 Nov 2026) Shovels docs, how Shovels Online works (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Paid: Basic is $599 a month and Pro $999 a month. The pricing page contradicts itself on some limits, so confirm before paying Shovels, pricing (read 4 Nov 2026).
We read Shovels’ public pages and documentation. We did not create an account, so we have not tested its search results.
How investigators use permits
Vet a contractor
Look up the firm by name and read its permit history. A roofer with no permits in your county, or a sudden burst after a storm, is a warning sign. Then check the licence with the state board. Shovels adds inspection pass rates to its contractor profiles Sacra, Shovels company profile (read 4 Nov 2026).
Read a property’s history
Permits date the additions, roofs, solar panels, pools and conversions. A finished basement with no permit suggests unpermitted work. The parcel number links the permit to the assessor and deed records.
Spot a company moving in
Fit-out permits often come before an announcement. Some name the tenant. A 3 September Chicago permit reads “tenant buildout of a Planet Fitness” City of Chicago, Building Permits dataset (queried 4 Nov 2026). Many just say “office”, so pair the address with the company records.
Date a photo
Scaffolding, a crane or a half-built wall only exists between the issue date and the final inspection. That window can date an image. It pairs with weather chronolocation.
Find surveillance on public roads
Cameras on public roads often need a right-of-way or encroachment permit. In Riverside County, California, a records request produced three encroachment permits for the sheriff’s Flock program. They documented about 80 installations against more than 500 cameras under contract H.C. van Pelt, “No Permit, No Problem”, Have I Been Flocked (2026). In St. Lucie County, Florida, 14 Flock cameras had no permit for where they stood KTTC, 14 unpermitted Flock cameras in St. Lucie County (17 Sep 2026). Our records request guide has the wording.
What your own permits reveal
Permits on your home are public too, and they say more than people expect.
- Your name and mailing address. Some cities publish the owner on the permit; New York does NYC Open Data, DOB Permit Issuance (read 4 Nov 2026).
- What is inside. Alarm wiring, a safe room, solar, a pool, a new garage: the description says so.
- Who has been in your house. Every contractor and their firm is named.
- Floor plans, sometimes. California keeps plans open for inspection only at the building department. Copies need the owner’s and the designer’s written permission California Health and Safety Code §19851. Other states vary.
- Contact details, via aggregators. Shovels links residents and homeowners to properties “with contacts” Shovels, permit data (read 4 Nov 2026).
You cannot usually remove a permit. You can check what your city publishes, and read our doxxing prevention guide for the records you can opt out of.
Where permits fall short
- Unpermitted work is invisible. The record only exists if someone applied.
- Descriptions are free text. Spelling, abbreviations and detail vary by applicant. Shovels’ keyword search does not handle typos Shovels docs, how Shovels Online works (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Addresses go missing. New construction permits often lack one Shovels docs, how Shovels Online works (read 4 Nov 2026).
- Coverage is uneven. Big cities publish everything. Small towns may have a basic portal, or only paper.
- Owner fields mislead. An LLC, a trust or a property manager may be listed instead of a person.
Is it legal to use permit records?
Permits are public records, and reading them is lawful. What you do with them is the test. Using permits to find and turn up at a private person’s home can be stalking. Using them to screen tenants or employees can bring in the FCRA. Our legal guide covers both.
Frequently asked questions
Are building permits public records?
Yes, in the United States they are generally public. Most cities let anyone search them online, and larger cities publish them as open data. Plans and drawings can be restricted; California, for example, allows copies only with the owner's and designer's written permission.
How do I look up building permits for an address?
Search the city or county permit portal by address. Large cities such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle also publish permits as free open data. Shovels searches many jurisdictions at once, with a free tier of 500 credits a month.
What is Shovels?
Shovels is a US company that collects building permits from thousands of city and county portals and cleans them into one searchable format. It covers about 85% of the US population, with contractor profiles and a residents dataset. A free tier gives 500 credits a month and one year of history; paid plans start at $599 a month.
Can building permits show who owns a property?
Sometimes. New York's permit datasets list the owner's name and address, and Chicago lists up to 15 contacts per permit. Many cities show only the contractor. For ownership, check the county assessor and recorder as well.
Can permits reveal surveillance cameras?
Yes, when the camera sits on a public road. Cities and counties often require a right-of-way or encroachment permit. In Riverside County, California, a records request for those permits showed about 80 documented installations against more than 500 contracted Flock cameras.
How can I vet a contractor with permits?
Search the firm's name in the permit portal or Shovels and read its history: how many jobs, what kind, and where. No local permits, or a sudden burst after a storm, is a warning sign. Then confirm the licence with your state's contractor board.
Can I remove my home's permits from public view?
Usually not; permits are government records. You can check what your city publishes and limit how much the owner field reveals. Data brokers and aggregators that repackage permits may have their own opt-out processes.