Building permits as geospatial intelligence

Shovels feeds live, AI-powered building permit data directly into your Esri ArcGIS platform.

Illustration showing building materials and construction data analytics
Regrid ParGo AI Esri UC Berkeley MIT

Geospatial intelligence for the building trades

The earliest, most accurate signal of market growth

Building permits are inherently geospatial objects that provide the earliest signal of market activity. Use them to see future developments first, optimize site selection, and de-risk major investments.

Esri ArcGIS permit dashboard
See future developments first.
Building permits are the earliest signal of market activity. Track permit applications and approvals to identify emerging development patterns before construction begins.
Optimize site selection.
Analyze construction activity patterns to identify optimal locations for your business. Use permit density and contractor activity to understand market dynamics.
De-risk major investments.
Use geospatial permit data to assess market conditions and construction activity before making significant investments in new markets or locations.
Esri ArcGIS compatibility.
Access Shovels data as hosted feature layers in ArcGIS. Our geodatabase with 170 million building permits is ready for integration with your existing GIS workflows.
Market intelligence.
Track construction activity by geography, property type, and contractor to understand market trends and identify emerging opportunities in your target areas.
Competitive intelligence.
Monitor competitor activity by tracking their permit applications and construction projects. Identify where competitors are expanding and what types of projects they're pursuing.

Geospatial building permit data

The construction activity intelligence platform

We built the most comprehensive geospatial database of building permits in the market, enabling you to see what's getting built and where, before anyone else.

Geographic search
Search by zip code, city, county or custom area using our geo_id system. Each geography includes detailed construction metrics and permit density analysis.
Site selection intelligence
Identify optimal locations by analyzing construction activity patterns, permit density, and contractor presence in your target markets.
Market growth signals
Track permit applications and approvals to identify emerging development patterns and market growth before construction begins.
ArcGIS integration
Access Shovels data as hosted feature layers in ArcGIS. Our geodatabase with 170 million building permits is ready for your existing GIS workflows.
Competitive monitoring
Track competitor activity by monitoring their permit applications and construction projects across your target geographies.
Risk assessment
Use geospatial permit data to assess market conditions and construction activity before making significant investments in new markets.
Parcel integration
Combine permit data with parcel information through our Regrid partnership for enhanced property analysis and site selection capabilities.
Customer support
We're here to help you with any questions about integrating geospatial permit data into your workflows. Our team specializes in GIS and location intelligence.

Explore our geospatial building permit intelligence now