Shovels captures the first signal of construction—using AI to turn fragmented permit data into Shovel-ready intelligence. Access via API, web app, or direct data warehouse integration.
Because you want to get insights from building permits, not wrangle with raw data.
Our data is Shovel-ready
We make building permits easy to understand and use for market research, go-to-market, and sales. No data engineering required.
We offer three interfaces to interact with our building permit, contractor, and government decision data.
Purchase single or multiple seats to explore and download our building permit, contractor, and local government decision data.
Automate access and integrate with other applications like CRMs, custom web apps, and more.
Get parquet files or private table shares into Snowflake, Databricks, or Big Query.
We write about building permits, contractors, government decisions, and the future of the built environment.
What Is a Right of Way Permit? What Contractors Need to Know
A right of way permit authorizes work in the public road corridor. Learn what it covers, who issues it, how long approval takes, and how to track ROW permits by jurisdiction.
Senior Marketing Manager
Shovels at the 2026 Esri User Conference
Shovels spent a week in the Startup Zone at the 2026 Esri User Conference in San Diego. Here's what the GIS community wanted to know about building permit data, why site selection came up in nearly every conversation, and what Esri's GeoParquet support means for mapping every permit in the country.
VP of Marketing
What Is a Grading Permit? When You Need One and How to Get It
A grading permit authorizes earthwork like cutting, filling, or leveling a site. Learn when one is required, what a grading plan includes, and how to apply.
Senior Marketing Manager
