Articles · page 13
Field notes on building-permit data across every state we cover — county deep-dives, permit-type explainers, and outreach tactics for service businesses. New articles publish regularly. For step-by-step guides by buyer niche, see the Playbook.
Awning and Shade Companies: Following Deck and Patio Permits
A new deck, patio, or pool is an outdoor space a homeowner just built and now wants to actually use, which means shade. For an awning, pergola, or retractable-shade company, deck and patio permits flag exactly the homes about to want what you sell.
Boston Multi-Family Permits: A Specialized Guide
Boston's triple-deckers and 2–6 unit buildings turn over and renovate constantly. The owner, often an investor reachable by mail, is the lead, and the permit feed in Suffolk County is dense and actionable.
Texting Permit Leads in Massachusetts: The Compliant Way to Use SMS
Texting gets the fastest response of any channel and carries the heaviest legal rules. Cold-blasting a permit list with marketing texts is a TCPA problem. Used as a post-consent channel, SMS is one of the best tools a contractor has, here is how to do it right.
ADU and In-Law Permits in Massachusetts: A New Lead Category
Massachusetts made ADUs legal by-right in 2025, and permit applications surged. An ADU permit is a from-scratch dwelling, a kitchen, a bath, flooring, a possible septic upgrade, and a new landlord. It may be the richest single-permit signal in the dataset.
Home Inspectors: Permit History as Diligence and a Referral Engine
Permit history tells a home inspector what to look for before the walkthrough, open permits, un-finaled additions, work done without a record. The same data names the agents driving transactions, turning a diligence tool into a referral engine.
Addition Permits in Massachusetts: What They Tell You
A single Massachusetts addition permit is the highest-value record in the dataset, one filing triggers HVAC, septic, insurance, kitchen, flooring, landscaping, paving, smart-home, and window work.
TCPA, CAN-SPAM, and MA Permit Outreach: What's Legal
A permit is a public record, but public does not mean unrestricted. CAN-SPAM, the TCPA, and Massachusetts rules still govern how you email, call, and text. Here's what's legal, in plain language.
Tree Service Companies: Finding Lot-Clearing Work in Permit Data
Before a foundation, a pool, a septic field, or a solar array goes in, trees often have to come out. A tree service that reads site-disturbing permits reaches homeowners at the clearing stage, the moment the work has to happen, before the build crew arrives.
Permit Leads vs. Google Ads: A Contractor's Honest Comparison
Google Ads sells you clicks in an auction you share with every competitor. Permit data sells you committed projects in a county you hold alone. Neither is strictly better, but they are structurally different, and most contractors do not understand how. Here is the honest comparison.