How to use building permits to find your next job

A building permit isn’t a sold “lead.” It’s a public record that someone is investing in a property. Smart contractors use that signal to mail the right offer — and to knock the neighbors — while the work is fresh.

Digging city portals every Monday is a second job. This page covers what the permit tells you, how to turn it into a conversation, and where Twin Cities exterior and HVAC-adjacent shops can get a free weekly Minneapolis list.

What a permit actually tells you

Why it works: You’re not guessing which houses might need work. You’re starting from a house that already filed.

Time: 2 minutes per row once you have a list

Read for

Address / neighborhood — where to mail or hang.
Work type / trade — what to offer (and what not to pitch).
Date — fresher is better for canvassing the block.
Valuation (when listed) — rough sense of project size; don’t over-read it.

Don’t expect

Phone numbers (usually not in the permit file)
Exclusive rights (public record = anyone can see it)
Instant “call me and buy” — you still have to prospect

Four ways to work a permit list

Why it works: The permit gets you onto the right street. Your process gets the yes.

Time: 15–30 minutes per batch of new rows

Do this

Mail the permit address with a short, relevant note (see Steal this below).
Door-hang 8–12 neighbors the same week — same crew / neighbor rate while you’re in the area.
Follow up once 5–7 days later if no reply; then park it.
Log everything so you don’t double-mail or forget the warm ones.

Steal this (to the permit address)

Saw the [permit type] filed for [street]. A lot of homeowners next ask about [adjacent job — e.g. gutters after roof / insulation after furnace]. Happy to take a look while that work is fresh — no obligation. — [Name], [phone]

Steal this (neighbor door-hanger)

We’re working near [street / house color] this week — [trade]. Neighbor rate if you want the same crew while we’re already here. [Name] · [phone]

Exterior vs HVAC-adjacent

Exterior (roof, siding, windows, decks): Use Exterior Permits weekly lists. Start at building permit leads in Minnesota or your trade page (roofing / siding). St. Paul shops taking Minneapolis jobs: exterior contractor leads for St. Paul.

After the install (ducts, IAQ, insulation): The furnace or mechanical permit often means the install is underway — that’s when add-on trades win. Use After the Permit: HVAC leads Minneapolis, Twin Cities HVAC permits, insulation, or this week’s list.

Coverage today: City of Minneapolis permits. St. Paul and suburbs are not in those lists yet — honesty stays on the signup pages.

Permit leads when you want addresses, not a second job

These are free weekly lists from public Minneapolis permits — not exclusive sold leads. Sign up on that site; Next Job Playbook doesn’t sell leads.

Exterior / roofing / siding

HVAC / after the install

Also see Find the next job for the full four methods.

How this fits the rest of the playbook

Permit lists are Method 3 on Find the next job. They work best next to past-customer notes and door-hangers — not instead of them. When someone replies, Close the job covers estimates and follow-ups. For the full weekly habit, see How contractors get more jobs (without buying ads).

This week’s checkbox

Sign up for your trade’s weekly list (links above)
Mail or hang on the newest 5 addresses
One neighbor pass on a block you’re already working
Follow-up date set for each touch

FAQ

Are building permits public?

In most U.S. cities, yes — including Minneapolis. Rules and portals differ by city; always follow local access rules.

Is a permit the same as a sold lead?

No. A permit is a public filing. A sold lead is usually a contact who requested a quote. Different product, different price, different expectations.

Do you sell exclusive permit leads?

Next Job Playbook doesn’t sell leads. The linked services email public Minneapolis permit data weekly — not exclusives and not quote requests.

Why Minneapolis-only?

That’s the feed those free lists use today. Twin Cities contractors who work Minneapolis jobs still use them; broader coverage isn’t promised here.

What if I already dig the city portal?

Keep doing it if you like. The weekly email is for shops that want the same signal without the portal grind every Monday.

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