How electricians get subcontract work from builders using permit data

Why new construction is worth chasing for electrical

New builds are the easiest electrical work there is. BLS notes that wiring a building under construction is often less complicated than maintaining existing systems because the wiring is easier to reach (BLS). Builders pulled permits for homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,400,000 units in September 2026, including 845,000 single-family units, per the Census Bureau.

Fuel mix affects your scope. Of the single-family homes completed in 2025, 56% were fueled with electricity (Census). On an all-electric home, the panel, range, dryer and heat-pump circuits are all yours.

The trade is big and busy. BLS counts 821,000 electrician jobs in 2025 and projects 9% growth through 2035, and NECA puts electrical contracting at over 70,000 firms (NECA). A builder with a good electrician keeps them, so you need to call while the job is still open.

Where to find new construction permits

Go to the source. All three cities on FirstBid publish permit records you can check yourself:

• Austin, TX: AB+C Public Search (no login needed) and the open dataset Issued Construction Permits, 3syk-w9eu. Austin permit guide.
• Miami-Dade County, FL: the RER permit portal and building permit search. Miami-Dade permit guide.
• Orlando, FL: the city's project lookup tool and open permit data. Orlando permit guide.

Austin alone issued 9,436 building permits from January through September 2026, and 1,661 of them were new single-family houses (permit class R-101). Orlando issued 7,184 building permits in the same months, 785 of them for new work. Both counts come from our own queries of the city open-data feeds on October 29, 2026.

The hard part isn't access. It's sorting hundreds of remodel, fence and repair permits to find the few new builds worth a call each week, and doing it every day.

What's on the boards right now

Counted from the FirstBid board files on October 29, 2026. Each row is a new-construction building permit pulled from the issuing government's public records (sources listed below).

How to read a permit for electrical scope

• Square footage. Austin's board median is 4,219 SF, which means larger services and more circuits than a starter home.
• Unit count. A duplex such as Orlando permit BLD2025-12018 needs two meters and two panels.
• Commercial permits. Miami-Dade's board has 5 new commercial buildings right now. That is GC-level bidding, not a homebuilder call.

Who is building new homes in your city?

The permit names the job, and the city record usually names the applicant or contractor. Count permits by builder over a month and you have a ranked list of the most active builders in your area. Those are the companies to get in front of.

How to get on a builder's bid list

Builders add subs when a current one is late, overbooked or too expensive. Make it easy for them to say yes: have your license number, certificate of insurance and W-9 ready to send the same day, and reference a specific permit when you call so they know you are local and paying attention. Ask who handles purchasing. On production builders it is often a purchasing or construction manager, not the site superintendent.

The builder call

Lead with the permit: "I saw permit [number] at [street] was issued on [date]. Who's doing your electrical?" It shows you did your homework and that you're early. If they already have someone, ask about their next start.

Before you bid, confirm the permit is still active on the city site. Austin's open data portal itself warns that its data may differ from official department records.

Questions contractors ask

How do electricians find new construction jobs?

Watch newly issued new-construction permits, find the builder or GC on the record, and send a rough-in and service quote sized from the square footage. Call before framing finishes, because that is when builders lock in subs.

What does electrical rough-in include on a new home?

Boxes, wire runs and the panel set before insulation and drywall, followed by an inspection. Trim-out (devices and fixtures) comes after drywall. Each city schedules its own electrical inspections.

Where can I search new building permits by city?

In Austin, use AB+C Public Search or open dataset 3syk-w9eu. In Miami-Dade, use the RER permit portal. In Orlando, use data.cityoforlando.net or the city's project lookup tool.

Are building permits public record?

Yes. Florida Statute 119.07 opens public records to any person, and Texas handles requests under the Public Information Act. Austin and Orlando post permits as open data.

Is the electrical trade growing?

BLS projects electrician jobs to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 72,700 openings a year.

Should electricians pitch solar-ready or EV-ready circuits on new builds?

If the home is all-electric, yes. Census data shows 56% of single-family homes completed in 2025 were fueled with electricity. Adding a pre-wire is cheaper at rough-in than as a retrofit.

How do I find general contractors to sub for?

Pull new-construction building permits for your area and sort by the contractor listed. The names that repeat are the active builders and GCs. In Austin, five builders held 400 of the 1,661 new single-family permits issued January to September 2026.

How do I become a subcontractor for home builders?

Have your state license, general liability and workers' comp certificates and a W-9 ready. Then contact the builder's purchasing or construction manager with a price on a job they have already permitted. Most builders require insurance paperwork before your first job.

Is permit data useful for contractors?

Yes. A new building permit tells you the address, the builder, the scope and often the square footage weeks before trade rough-in. It is the earliest public sign that a job exists.

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Sources

1. U.S. BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm
2. U.S. Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing: Highlights (2025 completions). https://www.census.gov/construction/chars/highlights.html
3. National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). https://www.necanet.org/
4. U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, September 2026 (released Oct 20, 2026). https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/current/index.html
5. City of Austin, AB+C Public Search. https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/public-search-other
6. City of Austin Open Data, Issued Construction Permits (dataset 3syk-w9eu). https://data.austintexas.gov/d/3syk-w9eu
7. Miami-Dade County RER, Electronic Plan Submittal / permit portal. https://www.miamidade.gov/Apps/RER/EPSPortal/
8. City of Orlando, Permits & Inspections. https://www.orlando.gov/Building-Development/Permits-Inspections
9. City of Orlando Open Data, building permits (dataset ryhf-m453). https://data.cityoforlando.net/d/ryhf-m453
10. Florida Statutes §119.07, Inspection and copying of records. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/119.07
11. Office of the Texas Attorney General, Public Information Act Handbook. https://oag.state.tx.us/sites/default/files/files/divisions/open-government/publicinfo_hb.pdf