How to find demolition leads in Durham from building permits — free
Durham filed 250 demolition permits in the last 12 months — about 4.8 a week, 14 in the last 30 days. Every one is a public record naming the address, the work and, usually, who's doing it. Here's how builders, demolition contractors and suppliers find them for free, which ones are worth a call, and when it's worth paying not to.
The busiest ZIP code was 27705, with 20% of them, and the most active name on them was D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co., Inc, with 14.
- Last 12 months
- 250
- A week, on average
- 4.8
- Last 30 days
- 14
- Busiest month
- 32
- May 2026
Step 1: Search the Durham City-County Land Development Office site (free)
The permit office's own records, straight from the source. Search for: demolition, and new residential dwellings.
- Search permits by address or permit number, or browse by date where the search allows.
- Each permit lists its type, status and inspections.
- Durham also posts monthly construction activity reports on durhamnc.gov.
Who's on a permit: Permits name the contractor; phone numbers aren't shown.
Step 2: Keep the permits worth a call
Does the work need a permit in North Carolina? Yes. Demolishing or removing a building needs a building permit before work starts. So these are the demolition permits on file, and what each is worth.
Teardowns
A house demolished on an infill lot is usually followed by a new one. The owner or builder on the demolition permit is about to need a site, foundation and every trade after it.
Owner-filed demolitions
Where the owner filed the permit, they may not have picked a builder yet: the one lead on this list a builder can still win outright.
Commercial demolitions
Interior and partial demolitions come before an upfit or a redevelopment, and the general contractor on the next permit buys the trades.
Step 4: Know who's pulling them
The builders on this list are tearing down to rebuild; the demolition contractors are who you're up against. Ranked by permits in the last 12 months.
| Contractor | Last 12 months | Last 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co., Inc | 14 | 2 |
| Cecil Holcomb Renovations Inc. | 10 | 2 |
| DPR Construction | 7 | 4 |
| Sanchez & Son Construction, LLC | 6 | 4 |
| Camden Development, Inc. | 5 | 5 |
| Polaris Construction, LLC Aka Hyco Construction Solutions LLC | 4 | 4 |
| Oak City Acquisitions And Land Development Inc. | 4 | 1 |
| C.T. Wilson Construction Co., Inc. | 4 | 0 |
| Gateway Building Company | 4 | 2 |
| Emr Services Inc | 4 | 0 |
| Legacy Building Co., LLC | 4 | 0 |
| Durham Building Company, LLC | 3 | 1 |
Step 5: Reach out at the right time
Call when the demolition permit is filed. The new-home permit for the same address often follows within months, and by then the builder has the crews.
The free way, and the fast way
The permits are free either way. What costs time is finding them, one office and one search at a time.
| The office's portal | TarSignal Free | TarSignal Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | One permit office's site at a time | 23 North Carolina offices, one search | 23 offices, one search |
| How recent | Same day, if you search every day | Permits over 30 days old | Up to today |
| Who's doing the work | Depends on the office; phone numbers rarely | Contractor and contact, on permits over 30 days old | Contractor and contact on every permit |
| New permits sent to you | No | Weekly, one ZIP code | Daily, every area |
| Export | Rarely | No | CSV |
| Cost | Free | Free | $199/month |
Demolition Leads in Durham: common questions
- How do I find demolition leads in Durham for free?
- From the building permits. The Durham City-County Land Development Office site is free to search: Search permits by address or permit number, or browse by date where the search allows. TarSignal's free search has the same permits from 23 North Carolina offices in one place, with the contractor where the record names one, for permits more than 30 days old.
- How many demolition permits are filed in Durham?
- 250 in the last 12 months, about 4.8 a week, and 14 in the last 30 days. The busiest ZIP codes were 27705, 27707 and 27703.
- Are building permits public record in North Carolina?
- Yes. Permits are public records under the North Carolina Public Records Act (G.S. Chapter 132), so anyone can look them up, and the contractor named on a permit is part of the record.
- Does demolition need a permit in Durham?
- Yes. Demolishing or removing a building needs a building permit before work starts. That's state law (G.S. 160D-1110), so it's the same at any permit office in the state.
Related
The numbers behind this guide, with recent permits: Demolition permits in Durham. Every permit in the area: building permits in Durham.
Demolition Leads in other places
See this week's demolition leads
Permit Search has every demolition permit filed in Durham, with the contractor where the record names one. Free for permits over 30 days old; Pro has them the day they're filed.
Source: TarSignal, from North Carolina public building permit records, data through October 29, 2026. Refreshed nightly. Counts include every permit type a jurisdiction files — trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) as well as building permits — so one project can appear more than once. Values are what the applicant declared, where the jurisdiction records one. We keep improving how we collect each office's permits, so a count that steps up suddenly usually means more complete records, not more construction.