Monthly Memo
Back when this newsletter was all mine, I had a section called “Things to do with permits.” It was fun to think about and fun to write. I’d go through company Slack messages and public LinkedIn posts from the previous month and pick something interesting. Inevitably there was a customer use case that stood out.
That section doesn’t work anymore. We’re no longer just a permit data company. The interesting things to do no longer involve our permits table alone.
Ryan Buckley - CEO
Content Roundup
The New Shovels Online Is Live
Shovels at the 2026 Esri User Conference (with video)
The Next Austin: 7 Boomtowns Emerging in Permit Data
How Thumbtack Uses Shovels to Streamline Contractor License Verification
What Is Upzoning? How It Works and Why It's Controversial
Map of the Month
Which homes are due for a new roof — and can you trust the answer?
Luka chased that question recently: agents handled the code grind while he evaluated permit data, tested ways to calculate the signal, mapped it, then went looking for where it was wrong. When permits left gaps, he pulled aerial imagery and built a grading tool to label what changed. The map is the output.
Possible beta coming soon? Interested? Let us know!
August 2026 Release Notes
Properties are now a first-class entity alongside permits and contractors: roughly 159M US properties, each with its permit history already summarized on the record — including which properties have no permit on record for the work. This release also adds +10,505,862 net permits, 377 newly covered jurisdictions, and more than 7x the Michigan permit count. The mid-month release added over 4M permits, ~153K new contractors, and we onboarded 16 new jurisdictions.
Around the Web
- 2026 Georgia Construction Legislation: Contractor Licensing, Permit Review, and Public Roofing
- Mid-2026 Update: U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
- There it is: Dream Finders to acquire Beazer and become America's 7th largest homebuilder
- Median Lot Prices Reach Record Highs in Several U.S. Regions
- Remodeling Spending Poised for Further Slowdown
Shovels Sights & Sightings
Ryan took a well-deserved family vacation to Croatia and Slovenia. Our two fearless leaders together, not on laptops!
This is NOT a Hallmark card. Betty got married! What an amazing photo to capture a very special moment, and place, in time. Congrats!
Speaking of weddings, Ruoji is getting married soon. She took a trip up to Montreal to celebrate with friends.
Morgan took a family trip to New England. After visiting the mansions of Newport, RI, he took his family to see Ian in Providence!
Keep an eye on our blog where we add all relevant information for data diggers like you.