What are construction leads?

Jobs a contractor or supplier could win: a homeowner planning a remodel, a builder starting a new house or subdivision, a business fitting out a space. The best ones arrive before the work is bought out, with a name to call.

How do contractors get construction leads for free?

Referrals and repeat customers, and public records — building permits above all. Every permit names an address and the work, usually the contractor too, and it's filed before the work starts. The 23 North Carolina permit offices TarSignal reads filed 264,951 permits in the last 12 months.

Are building permits public record in North Carolina?

Yes. Building permits are public records, and most North Carolina permit offices publish them online, searchable by address, date or permit number. TarSignal collects them from 23 offices into one search.

Are permit leads better than paid leads?

They're different. A paid lead is usually someone asking for quotes, often sold to several contractors at once, so you race on speed and price. A permit is a job that's approved and funded, often with the main contractor already chosen — which makes permits strongest for subcontractors, suppliers and trades that come after the permitted work.

How soon should I contact a permit lead?

Before your part of the job is bought. On a new home that means calling the builder in the weeks after the building permit is issued — before framing for roofing, before rough-in for HVAC. A permit for work that's already sold, like a change-out or a re-roof, is better used to learn who's winning which neighborhoods.

Construction Leads From Building Permits in NC

Where construction leads come from

Five sources most contractors use, and what each is good for.

Referrals and repeat customers
The easiest jobs to close, and the hardest to get more of on demand. They grow with your reputation, not your effort this month.
Paid lead services
You pay per lead, and the same request is often sold to several contractors, so the first call and the lowest price tend to win.
Bid boards and plan rooms
Commercial and public projects out to bid. Real work, but every competitor sees the same set, and the timelines are long.
Your own marketing
Search, ads and social bring leads that are yours alone, after months of spend and upkeep.
Building permits
A public record of approved, funded jobs, free to search. The catch: they're spread across dozens of permit offices, and you sort the leads from the rest yourself.

Why building permits are the best free source of leads

A permit means the decision is made and the money is there: nobody pays for a permit on a project they might not do. It gives you the address, the kind of work and often its declared value, and it usually names the contractor who pulled it.

Timing is the other advantage. A permit is filed before the work, and most jobs bring in other trades after it: a new home's permit comes weeks or months before its roof, its HVAC rough-in, its flooring and its fixtures. In the last 12 months the offices we read filed 28,129 permits for new construction — each one a list of trades and materials still to buy.

And the contractor named on the permit is a customer in their own right. For subcontractors and suppliers, a builder who pulls a permit every week is worth more than any single job.

Which permits are leads for your trade

What to search a permit office for, and who to call on what you find.

Trade	Permits to watch	Who to call
Roofing Leads	roofing or re-roof, and new residential dwellings	The builders on this list are your customers on new homes; the roofers are who you're up against.
HVAC Leads	mechanical, and new residential dwellings	Builders and general contractors on this list choose the mechanical sub on their jobs; the HVAC companies are your competition.
Solar Leads	electrical (solar is filed as electrical work)	The installers on this list are your competition; the builders filing new-home permits are partners worth a call.
New Construction Leads	new residential dwelling, addition, alteration and commercial	These are the builders and general contractors pulling the permits — the people who hire subs and buy materials.
Electrical Leads	electrical, and new residential and commercial building permits	The builders and general contractors on this list hire electricians; the electrical contractors are your competition.
Plumbing Leads	plumbing, and new residential dwellings	Builders and general contractors on this list hire plumbers; the plumbing companies are your competition.
Demolition Leads	demolition, and new residential dwellings	The builders on this list are tearing down to rebuild; the demolition contractors are who you're up against.
Pool Leads	pool, spa or swimming pool	The pool builders on this list are your competition, or your partners if you sell what comes after the pool.
Deck & Addition Leads	deck, porch, screened porch and residential addition	The remodelers and general contractors on this list hire subs; the deck builders are your competition.
Upfit Leads	commercial alteration, upfit, tenant improvement or change of use	These are the general contractors winning upfits — the people who hire commercial subs and buy materials.
Fire Protection Leads	fire alarm, sprinkler, and commercial building permits	The fire alarm and sprinkler companies on this list are your competition; the GCs on the building permits are who you sell to.
Foundation Leads	residential alteration or repair, and retaining wall	The builders and site contractors on this list hire concrete subs; the foundation repair companies are your competition.
Window & Siding Leads	residential alteration, addition and repair	Most like-for-like replacements are exempt from permits, so the window and siding companies here are only part of the market. The builders and remodelers are your customers.
Suppliers and subcontractors	New homes, additions and commercial buildings	The builder or general contractor named on the permit, who buys the materials and hires the subs.

How to turn a permit into a job

Find the permits. Each permit office has its own public search — every county and city page shows how to use it — or search all 23 offices at once in Permit Search.
Keep the ones that are yours. Filter by permit type and value, and drop work your crew doesn't do. A few good permits a week beat a long list.
See who's on it. A builder or general contractor on a new build buys from subs and suppliers; a homeowner on a remodel may still need trades the permit doesn't cover.
Call before your phase. Reach out in the window between the permit and the stage where your work is bought — the trade table above and each city guide say when.
Keep a list and follow up. One call rarely closes a builder. The ones who keep pulling permits are worth calling every month.

To skip the searching: Project Alerts emails new permits near you every Monday, free, and Permit Search is free with a login for permits filed more than 30 days ago. TarSignal Pro adds every new permit daily, with the contractor's contact details where the permit lists them — see pricing.

Lead guides by trade and city

Where to search in each city, which permits to keep for your trade, and when to call. The number is the trade's permits filed there in the last 12 months.

Roofing Leads

For roofers.

HVAC Leads

For HVAC contractors.

Solar Leads

For solar installers.

New Construction Leads

For subcontractors and suppliers.

Electrical Leads

For electrical contractors.

Plumbing Leads

For plumbers.

Demolition Leads

For builders, demolition contractors and suppliers.

Pool Leads

For pool builders and the trades that follow them.

Deck & Addition Leads

For deck builders, remodelers and their subs.

Upfit Leads

For commercial subcontractors and suppliers.

Fire Protection Leads

For fire alarm and sprinkler contractors.

Foundation Leads

For foundation and concrete contractors.

Window & Siding Leads

For window, door and siding contractors.

Construction leads: common questions

What are construction leads?: Jobs a contractor or supplier could win: a homeowner planning a remodel, a builder starting a new house or subdivision, a business fitting out a space. The best ones arrive before the work is bought out, with a name to call.
How do contractors get construction leads for free?: Referrals and repeat customers, and public records — building permits above all. Every permit names an address and the work, usually the contractor too, and it's filed before the work starts. The 23 North Carolina permit offices TarSignal reads filed 264,951 permits in the last 12 months.
Are building permits public record in North Carolina?: Yes. Building permits are public records, and most North Carolina permit offices publish them online, searchable by address, date or permit number. TarSignal collects them from 23 offices into one search.
Are permit leads better than paid leads?: They're different. A paid lead is usually someone asking for quotes, often sold to several contractors at once, so you race on speed and price. A permit is a job that's approved and funded, often with the main contractor already chosen — which makes permits strongest for subcontractors, suppliers and trades that come after the permitted work.
How soon should I contact a permit lead?: Before your part of the job is bought. On a new home that means calling the builder in the weeks after the building permit is issued — before framing for roofing, before rough-in for HVAC. A permit for work that's already sold, like a change-out or a re-roof, is better used to learn who's winning which neighborhoods.

Construction leads for contractors: how to find them in building permits