How we source and check permit data
Data sources
| Board | Source we pull |
|---|---|
| Austin, TX | City of Austin Issued Construction Permits (3syk-w9eu), checked against AB+C Public Search |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | Miami-Dade County permit feature service, linked to the RER permit portal |
| Orlando, FL | City of Orlando permit applications (ryhf-m453) |
What makes a permit "new construction"
- Austin: building permits (type BP) with work class "New".
- Miami-Dade: building permits (type BLDG) with application type "NEW".
- Orlando: building permits with work type "New".
We drop remodels, repairs, fences, pools and signs. Each permit is classed as a new single-family home, multifamily building or commercial building from the city's own fields and description.
How we check it
- The boards refresh daily from the sources above.
- Counts in these guides were run against the live government feeds on October 29, 2026. When we rerun them, the date at the top of the page changes. It doesn't change otherwise.
- Federal figures come from the Census Bureau, BLS and named trade associations, each linked where used.
Limits
Open data can lag or differ from the official record. Austin's portal says so directly. Always confirm a permit on the issuing government's site before you bid. Miami-Dade figures cover county-issued permits only, not cities with their own building departments.
Who we are
FirstBid is an online service. We don't have a storefront, and the boards list government permit records, not homeowner leads.
Questions contractors ask
Where does FirstBid get permit data?
From the City of Austin open data portal, Miami-Dade County's permit feature service and the City of Orlando open data portal.
What counts as a new construction permit?
A building permit the issuing government marks as new work: work class New in Austin, application type NEW in Miami-Dade and work type New in Orlando.
Is FirstBid data official?
No. It is copied from official public records. Always confirm a permit on the government's site before you bid.
How current is the data?
The boards refresh every morning. Guide counts show the date they were queried.
Why are addresses masked in the guides?
Full addresses and permit numbers are part of the paid board. The guides show the street and city so you can judge the area.
Does FirstBid sell homeowner leads?
No. The boards list new-construction permits and the builders on them.
See the permits before the other subs do
FirstBid pulls new-construction permits from city and county records every morning and shows the scope for each one. Try the Austin board with a 7-day pass for $19. After that it is $99/mo, and you can cancel before day 8.
Open the Austin board