| City | Permits filed | High-priority | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 1,404 | 633 | View → |
| Chicago | 272 | 60 | View → |
| San Francisco | 269 | 17 | View → |
| Miami-Dade | 123 | 32 | View → |
| Total | 2,068 | 742 |
Based on public permit filings reviewed by PermitPipeline. High-priority means graded A+ or A for contractor fit. Counts reflect available filing data and PermitPipeline's active-project rules as of the updated date.
How subs use permits differently from GCs
For a general contractor, a permit filing can be a direct lead. For a specialty trade, the question is different: who controls the package, and when should you get in front of them? A filing may not tell you your trade package is open, but it shows which projects are forming and who may control the work.
Who controls the package
Depending on the project, your scope may be controlled by a named GC, the owner, the architect, a construction manager, a developer, or a permittee on a related sub-permit. Reading those signals tells you whether to approach the GC, or to research the owner or architect carefully while the team is still forming.
What signals matter by trade
| Trade | Watch for |
|---|---|
| Electrical | Tenant improvements, service upgrades, EV charging, commercial buildouts, LL97 work. |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Renovations, equipment replacement, energy retrofits, restaurant and lab buildouts. |
| Plumbing | Restaurant work, multifamily renovations, new bathrooms and kitchens, larger interiors. |
| Roofing / envelope | Reroofing, facade work, waterproofing, HVHZ projects, exterior alterations. |
| Concrete / structural | Seismic and soft-story retrofits, foundations, new build, structural alterations. |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler modifications and additions on alterations and new build. |
When to act
Some trades watch immediately after filing; some wait for a GC signal; some track related sub-permits. The goal is an early radar, not a cold call the day a permit appears. For the full approach, read how specialty trades find projects before bid packages are set.
What subcontractor leads cost
PermitPipeline publishes its pricing. Three plans, one city included with each, 14-day free trial on all of them.
| Plan | Price | For a trade contractor who wants |
|---|---|---|
| Brief | $149/mo | A short ranked list of filings in your market each weekday morning. |
| Pro | $299/mo | The full searchable project database plus your own tracked pipeline. |
| Team | $599/mo | Several estimators pursuing projects in one shared workspace. |
Each plan covers one city. Adding a second is $99 a month on Brief, $149 on Pro, and $199 on Team. Annual billing is the same plan paid once a year and saves two months. The trial requires a card and charges nothing for 14 days, with an email reminder three days before any charge. Full detail and the plan comparison are on the pricing page.
Most specialty trades start on Brief. If one estimator is scanning a single market, a ranked morning list is the whole job. Move to Pro when you want to search history and keep a pipeline, and to Team when more than one person is working the same list and you are stepping on each other.
Frequently asked
What are subcontractor leads?
Subcontractor leads are projects identified from permit filings where a specialty trade's scope is likely to be needed, ideally before the trade package is awarded.
How do subs know who to contact?
Read who controls the package: a named GC, the owner, architect, construction manager, or permittee. That determines whether to approach the GC or research the owner or architect early.
Which trades does this work for?
Electrical, mechanical and HVAC, plumbing, roofing and envelope, concrete and structural, and fire protection, among others, wherever permit scope implies the trade.
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