How Many New Home Permits Did the City of Austin Issue in October 2026?

New single-family house permits, last 8 weeks

Total: 320. Weeks run Monday to Sunday. The last week can still grow as the city posts late records.

Top 10 ZIP codes, Sep 7 – Nov 1, 2026

ZIP as written on the city record. Some ZIPs (like 78617, 78652, 78653) reach past the city limits; only permits the City of Austin issued are counted.

Skip the morning permit search. The board does it for you.

Metro context from the Census (via FRED)

FRED series AUST448BP1FH (Census new private housing units authorized, 1-unit structures, Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro) shows 1,147 in August 2026 and 1,045 in September 2026. That covers the whole metro, not just the city, so it runs much higher than the city counts above.

How we count

Pulled Nov 2, 2026 from the City of Austin Issued Construction Permits dataset (data.austintexas.gov, ID 3syk-w9eu) through its public API. We count building permits (type BP) with permit class "R- 101 Single Family Houses" and work class "New". We don't count the separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on the same house, so each house counts once. No C-101 records matched this filter.

Exact filter: permittype='BP' AND permit_class like '%101%' AND work_class='New' AND issue_date between '2026-09-07T00:00:00' and '2026-11-01T23:59:59'

We left out dollar values on purpose. In this pull, the valuation fields on these permits were 0, 1 or blank, so they aren't reliable. The city can update records later, so counts may shift.

Try it for a week and make your first call.

What do these numbers mean if you work for builders? Isn't the sub picked already?

Each of those permits is a builder starting a house. But most subs worry the trades are already hired by the time a permit is public. That's fair, and it depends on which permit you're watching. On a new house, the electrical and plumbing permits are pulled by the subs who already have the job. They tell you who won.

The building permit for the house comes first. The builder can't start until the City of Austin issues it, and that's often when he's still lining up subs. That's the permit to watch.

Want to see who's building this week? Unlock today's permits.

To reach him, the building permit names the builder or contractor, and the City of Austin record sometimes lists a phone. When it doesn't, the company name is usually enough to find one.

Don't Austin builders just stick with the sub they know?

Even when you reach the builder in time, there's a second wall: most builders stick with who they know. A builder who's happy with his sub puts him on the next house, and the one after that.

"I know a builder who gives every solar job to one solar guy. That one relationship has been worth hundreds of thousands in work to him."Ben, FirstBid founder

That's exactly why it's worth getting in. You're not trying to bump his sub off this house. You're getting on his list, so when his guy is booked, late or slipping, you're the next call. Miss that, and you're back to shared leads where the cheapest quote wins.

How do you get on an Austin builder's list? 3 steps

Getting on the list comes down to being early, being easy to work with, and proving it once.

1. See the new building permit the week it's issued. Watch new single-family building permits like the ones counted above.

The next builder on your list is already on the board.

2. Call the builder like a sub, not a salesman. Keep it short and easy to say no to:

If he's set: "No problem. Mind if I send you my info for the next one?" If he's open, ask when he'll need you, then tell him what he cares about:

Try it for a week and make your first call.

Then text him your name, license number and phone so he has it when he needs it. One call won't always win the house. It gets you on the list for the next one.

3. Do one house right, then ask for the next. Show up on his schedule, pass inspection, leave it clean. A builder who doesn't have to chase his sub keeps calling the same one.

Step 1 is the hard part. Checking City of Austin permit records every morning takes time most owners don't have. That's what FirstBid does for you.

What do you get on the Austin board?

Once you're in, every card opens up like the one above:

• New Austin single-family permits each morning, from City of Austin public records.
• The full address, so you know the house and the area.
• The builder's name and phone, when the record lists them.
• Tap to call or text right from the card.

You still make the call and win the job. The board tells you who to call and when.

Questions Austin subs ask before trying it

Skip the morning permit search. The board does it for you.

Fair questions. Here are straight answers.

Every one of those permits is a builder picking subs

320 new house permits in 8 weeks means 320 new houses that each need subs. Try the board for 7 days and call the next one first.