How plumbers get subcontract work from home builders using permit data
Why new construction is worth chasing for plumbing
On a slab home, plumbing goes in before the foundation is poured. That puts plumbers earlier in the schedule than any other trade on this list, so a permit that is two weeks old may already be spoken for. 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.
Read the bathroom count. Austin permit 2026-139147 BP lists 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. That is a very different rough-in than a 1-story SFR in Miami-Dade.
Know the sewer situation. Of homes built for sale in 2025, 91% were on public sewer and 9% used a septic system (Census). In Miami-Dade, new septic systems must meet the advanced treatment standards in Ordinance 22-83 (Miami-Dade RER).
BLS counts 510,600 plumber, pipefitter and steamfitter jobs in 2025 and projects 7% growth through 2035 (BLS).
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
| Board | Permits | Mix | Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 35 | 35 new single-family home | Aug 21, 2026 to Oct 27, 2026 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 35 | 25 new single-family home, 7 new multifamily building, 3 new commercial building | Sep 24, 2026 to Oct 26, 2026 |
| Orlando, FL | 28 | 23 new single-family home, 3 new multifamily building, 2 new commercial building | Sep 3, 2026 to Oct 29, 2026 |
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 plumbing scope
- Bath count in the work description. Austin descriptions often spell it out, like "5bed 4.5 bath".
- Multifamily. Miami-Dade's board has 7 new multifamily buildings, and each one is a stacked-riser job.
- Issue date. Plumbing goes first, so filter to the last few days.
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 plumbing?" 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 plumbers get new construction work?
Through builders and GCs. Watch for newly issued new-construction permits, call the builder right away because underground rough-in is first, and quote from the bath count and square footage on the permit.
When does plumbing happen on a new house?
On slab homes, underground rough-in goes in before the foundation pour. Top-out comes after framing, and trim and fixtures come after drywall. Each stage is inspected by the city.
How do I bid new construction plumbing?
Start from fixture count and bath count, add underground and water service, and confirm whether the lot is on sewer or septic. Census data shows 9% of 2025 homes built for sale used septic.
Where can I find new construction permits?
Austin publishes them on AB+C Public Search and open dataset 3syk-w9eu, Miami-Dade on its RER permit portal, and Orlando on data.cityoforlando.net.
Are building permits public?
Yes. Florida Statute 119.07 lets any person inspect and copy public records, and Texas covers this under the Public Information Act.
Is plumbing a growing trade?
BLS projects plumber, pipefitter and steamfitter jobs to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 42,000 openings a year.
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.
See the permits before the other subs do
FirstBid pulls new-construction permits from city and county records every morning and shows the plumbing scope for each one. Try the plumbing view of each live board with a 7-day pass for $19. After that it is $99/mo, and you can cancel before day 8.
AustinMiami-DadeOrlandoRelated guides
HVAC leads · Electrical leads · Roofing leads · Solar leads · All guides
Sources
- U.S. BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm
- U.S. Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing: Highlights (2025 completions). https://www.census.gov/construction/chars/highlights.html
- Miami-Dade County RER, Building (permits, trades, inspections). https://www.miamidade.gov/global/economy/building/home.page
- Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC). https://www.phccweb.org/
- U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, September 2026 (released Oct 20, 2026). https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/current/index.html
- City of Austin, AB+C Public Search. https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/public-search-other
- City of Austin Open Data, Issued Construction Permits (dataset 3syk-w9eu). https://data.austintexas.gov/d/3syk-w9eu
- Miami-Dade County RER, Electronic Plan Submittal / permit portal. https://www.miamidade.gov/Apps/RER/EPSPortal/
- City of Orlando, Permits & Inspections. https://www.orlando.gov/Building-Development/Permits-Inspections
- City of Orlando Open Data, building permits (dataset ryhf-m453). https://data.cityoforlando.net/d/ryhf-m453
- Florida Statutes §119.07, Inspection and copying of records. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/119.07
- 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