Articles · page 4
Field notes on Massachusetts building-permit data — 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.