How to find solar leads in Durham from building permits — free
Durham filed 211 solar permits in the last 12 months — about 4.1 a week, 22 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 solar installers 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 22% of them, and the most active name on them was Southern Energy Management, Inc, with 56.
- Last 12 months
- 211
- A week, on average
- 4.1
- Last 30 days
- 22
- Busiest month
- 24
- April 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: electrical (solar is filed as electrical work).
- 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. Every install adds electrical equipment, so it needs at least an electrical permit. So these are the solar permits on file, and what each is worth.
Who's installing where
A solar permit means the sale already happened, so it's market intelligence more than a lead: which installers win which ZIP codes, and how many systems go up a month.
New homes
Builders offering solar or solar-ready wiring choose an installer per community. The new-home permits show which builders are building where.
Commercial roofs
Commercial building and re-roof permits mark large flat roofs — the best sites for commercial solar.
Step 4: Know who's pulling them
The installers on this list are your competition; the builders filing new-home permits are partners worth a call. Ranked by permits in the last 12 months.
| Contractor | Last 12 months | Last 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Energy Management, Inc | 56 | 13 |
| NC Solar Now, Inc. | 47 | 7 |
| 8MSolar | 39 | 7 |
| Yes Solar Solutions | 31 | 9 |
| Renu Energy Solutions | 10 | 5 |
| Tesla Energy Operations, Inc. | 5 | 3 |
| Emerald Energy LLC | 5 | 2 |
| Top Tier Solar Solutions | 4 | 1 |
| Complete Solar, Inc. | 3 | 0 |
| Lifetime Energy LLC | 3 | 3 |
| Mike Hammock | 1 | 0 |
| DPR Construction | 1 | 1 |
Step 5: Reach out at the right time
Call builders when a community's first permits are filed, before they've picked an installer for it.
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 |
Solar Leads in Durham: common questions
- How do I find solar 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 solar permits are filed in Durham?
- 211 in the last 12 months, about 4.1 a week, and 22 in the last 30 days. The busiest ZIP codes were 27705, 27703 and 27701.
- 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 solar work need a permit in Durham?
- Yes. Every install adds electrical equipment, so it needs at least an electrical permit. 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: Solar permits in Durham. Every permit in the area: building permits in Durham.
Solar Leads in other places
See this week's solar leads
Permit Search has every solar 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 28, 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.