Shovels
Shovels - Building permit and contractor intelligence
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The intelligence layer for the built world

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.

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Clean and useful building permit data that's easy to understand

Because you want to get insights from building permits, not wrangle with raw data.

Building permits in our database
185M+
Contractors in our database
3.3M+
US addresses covered
33M+
New permits added monthly
5M+

How we're different

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.

Fanatical customer service
We're a small company with a big heart. We're here to help you succeed.
Constant innovation
We ship fast. We ship often. We ship quality. We use the latest technology to make your life easier.
Transparency
We're not afraid to show you exactly where our coverage gaps are. We're the only company that's fully transparent about our data.
Residents and employees
We go beyond just the properties and contractors. We also include residents and employees with contact information.
Helpful documentation
Our documentation is comprehensive and easy to understand. We keep our API documentation and data dictionary up to date.
AI-powered from the start
We run hundreds of millions of records through our AI to make sure our data is accurate.
Pricing for everyone
We work with all budgets. Our customers range from climate and proptech startups to publicly-traded companies.
Multiple interfaces
We're more than just a data provider. We're both a data platform and a software company.

Work with us

We offer three interfaces to interact with our building permit and building contractor data.

Shovels Online
Shovels Online

Purchase single or multiple seats to explore and download our building permit and contractor data.

Learn more

Shovels API
Shovels API

Automate access and integrate with other applications like CRMs, custom web apps, and more.

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Database Access
Database Access

Get parquet files or private table shares into Snowflake, Databricks, or Big Query.

Learn more

From the blog

We write about building permits, contractors, and the future of the built environment.

<p>The growth of EV contractors in California</p>
Data

The growth of EV contractors in California

In this final article of our series on EV charger activity in California, we explore the growth of EV charger contractors. We highlight the flourishing EV charger space and provide examples of companies operating in different parts of the ecosystem. Additionally, we showcase the jurisdictions with the most active EV charger contractors and analyze the increasing trend of new contractor activity. The data underscores the growing demand for EV chargers and the expanding market for contractors in this exciting industry.

Ryan Buckley

Ryan Buckley

CEO

<p>EV charger permit processing times in California</p>
Data

EV charger permit processing times in California

We conducted an in-depth study on electric vehicle (EV) charger permit approval times in California. Our analysis reveals significant variations in approval times across different jurisdictions in the state. While some jurisdictions in Northern California have remarkably fast approval times, many Southern California jurisdictions experience delays of up to two months. Streamlining the permitting process could be a key factor in improving EV charger installation rates. Interestingly, we found no correlation between the volume of permits processed and approval times, suggesting that bureaucratic overload is not the primary cause of delays. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and homeowners looking to navigate the complex landscape of EV charger installations and contribute to the transition to cleaner, more sustainable transportation options.

Ryan Buckley

Ryan Buckley

CEO

<p>The growth of EV chargers in California</p>
Data

The growth of EV chargers in California

At Shovels, we provide developers with access to monthly EV charger installation data through our building permit API. This data reveals the tremendous growth and geographic distribution of EV charging infrastructure, with insights into the locations and companies involved. Understanding this data is crucial for businesses, developers, and governments to identify areas for expansion and to make informed decisions. With our API, developers can accurately map existing charger locations, analyze infrastructure, and even predict future demand for electric vehicles.

Ryan Buckley

Ryan Buckley

CEO