PermitWire vs. other contractor lead sources
Contractors have a few ways to find work from building permits and homeowner demand. Here's an honest look at the main options, who each is built for, and where PermitWire fits. Descriptions are based on each company's public website as of November 2026; check their sites for current features and pricing.
| Option | Best for | How you get leads | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| PermitWire Daily permit lead email | Residential trade contractors in covered cities | A ranked list of new permits for your trade, emailed by 7am; private archive with CSV | Flat monthly plans from $69, 7-day free trial |
| Construction Monitor National permit database | Suppliers, subs and contractors who want broad national coverage and search tools | Search and export permit records across many U.S. markets | Subscription priced by market and term |
| Shovels Permit and contractor data API | Developers, analysts and data teams | API and data access to permits and contractor profiles | Data/API plans |
| BuildZoom (BuildZoom Data) Contractor marketplace and permit data | Homeowners hiring contractors; enterprises buying permit data | Marketplace matches homeowners to contractors; separate data product for businesses | Data access by application and demo |
| ConstructConnect / Dodge Commercial project bid networks | Commercial GCs, subs and suppliers bidding larger projects | Pre-bid project reports, plans and bid lists | Enterprise subscriptions |
| Angi / HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack Homeowner lead marketplaces | Contractors who want inbound requests from homeowners | Homeowners request quotes; leads are often shared with several pros | Pay per lead or per contact |
| Do it yourself City open-data portals | Contractors with time to search and filter raw data | Search each city's portal and filter permits by hand | Free, but costs hours each week |
When PermitWire is the right fit
You're a residential trade contractor in one of our cities, you want new projects in your trade every morning without searching, and you'd rather pay one flat monthly price than per lead.
When something else may fit better
You need national coverage, raw data for your own software, or you bid large commercial projects. The options above serve those needs well.
Comparison questions
What's the best alternative to Construction Monitor for a single trade in one city?
If you're a residential trade contractor working one or two cities, PermitWire gives you a ranked daily list for your trade by email at a flat monthly price, so there's no searching or exporting. If you need national coverage or deep search tools, a national database like Construction Monitor may fit better.
Is PermitWire like Shovels?
Both use building permit data. Shovels offers data and an API for developers and analysts; PermitWire is a finished product for contractors: a ranked email and a private lead archive, with no setup or code.
How is PermitWire different from Angi, HomeAdvisor or Thumbtack?
Marketplaces send you homeowners who request quotes, usually priced per lead and often shared with other pros. PermitWire shows you projects as they're permitted, before many owners have finished hiring, for one flat monthly price.
Is PermitWire for commercial bidding like Dodge or ConstructConnect?
Not primarily. Bid networks track large commercial projects before they're bid. PermitWire focuses on permits already issued, mostly residential and light commercial, for trade contractors.