How to find plumbing leads in Brunswick County from building permits — free
Brunswick County filed 512 plumbing permits in the last 12 months — about 9.8 a week, 36 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 plumbers find them for free, which ones are worth a call, and when it's worth paying not to.
The busiest ZIP code was 28461, with 18% of them, and the most active name on them was JTL Plumbing, Inc., with 24.
- Last 12 months
- 512
- A week, on average
- 9.8
- Last 30 days
- 36
- Busiest month
- 63
- January 2026
Step 1: Search Brunswick County's Permit Portal (free)
The permit office's own records, straight from the source. Search for: plumbing, and new residential dwellings.
- Create a free account — the portal requires one.
- Search projects by address or project number; Code Administration's Permit Search page on brunswickcountync.gov looks up a single permit.
- There's no public list of new permits by date, so this is for checking jobs, not finding them.
Who's on a permit: The county's permit data names the contractor on most permits, usually without a phone number.
Step 2: Keep the permits worth a call
Does the work need a permit in North Carolina? Yes, mostly. New or changed plumbing needs one; replacing fixtures at the same size and capacity doesn't. So these are the plumbing permits on file, and what each is worth.
New homes
Each one needs rough-in and finish plumbing, and the builder named on the permit picks the plumber, often for a whole subdivision.
Additions and remodels
A new bathroom or a moved kitchen changes the plumbing design, which always needs a permit. The general contractor on the building permit hires the plumber.
Commercial upfits
Restaurants, clinics and salons add fixtures and grease or gas lines. The GC on the upfit permit is the call.
Step 4: Know who's pulling them
Builders and general contractors on this list hire plumbers; the plumbing companies are your competition. Ranked by permits in the last 12 months.
| Contractor | Last 12 months | Last 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| JTL Plumbing, Inc. | 24 | 6 |
| Plumbing | 22 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Harrison Frazier | 16 | 3 |
| Milam Plumbing, Inc. | 13 | 2 |
| Plumb Rite Plumbing Co, Inc. | 13 | 3 |
| Vic West Plumbing Co | 12 | 5 |
| Teals Plumbing LLC | 11 | 3 |
| Mansfield Sales & Repair Inc | 11 | 4 |
| Michael And Son Service Of NC DBA Mof LLC | 10 | 3 |
| Minutelli Plumbing and Pipe LLC | 10 | 1 |
| Flex Plumbing LLC | 9 | 0 |
| Jeremiah & Sons Plumbing LLC | 9 | 0 |
Step 5: Reach out at the right time
Call when the building permit is issued, before the slab or rough-in is scheduled. By the time the plumbing permit is filed, the plumber is chosen.
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 |
Plumbing Leads in Brunswick County: common questions
- How do I find plumbing leads in Brunswick County for free?
- From the building permits. Brunswick County's Permit Portal is free to search: Create a free account — the portal requires one. 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 plumbing permits are filed in Brunswick County?
- 512 in the last 12 months, about 9.8 a week, and 36 in the last 30 days. The busiest ZIP codes were 28461, 28462 and 28451.
- 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 plumbing work need a permit in Brunswick County?
- Yes, mostly. New or changed plumbing needs one; replacing fixtures at the same size and capacity doesn't. 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: Plumbing permits in Brunswick County. Every permit in the area: building permits in Brunswick County.
Plumbing Leads in other places
See this week's plumbing leads
Permit Search has every plumbing permit filed in Brunswick County, 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 30, 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.