How roofers get new construction work from builders using permit data

Why new construction is worth chasing for roofing

Storm and replacement leads mean competing with every crew in town for one homeowner. A new-build permit is a builder who will need a roof on a schedule and may need one on the next house too. 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.

Roofing is a small, crew-heavy trade. BLS counts 166,900 roofer jobs in 2025, and 20% of roofers are self-employed (BLS). BLS also notes that low-slope roofs are typical on commercial and apartment buildings while steep-slope roofs are typical on single-family homes, so the permit type tells you which crew to send.

In Miami-Dade, roofing has its own permit forms and product-approval rules, and hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 (Miami-Dade RER).

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 roofing scope

• Permit type tells you slope. Single-family is usually steep-slope shingle or tile. Commercial and multifamily are usually low-slope membrane.
• Stories. A 2-story, 5,469 SF Austin home (permit 2026-141045 BP) needs different staging than a 1-story ranch.
• Location. In Miami-Dade, check the county's Product Approval requirements before you price materials.

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 roofing?" 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 I get roofing leads without door knocking?

Pull newly issued new-construction permits from your city's portal and call the builder before dry-in. You are pitching a scheduled job, not convincing a homeowner they have damage.

How do I get commercial roofing leads?

Filter permits to new commercial and multifamily buildings. Those are mostly low-slope roofs bid through a GC. Miami-Dade's FirstBid board has 5 new commercial and 7 multifamily permits as of October 29, 2026.

When is the roof installed on a new home?

After framing and roof sheathing and before interior work. That is dry-in. Builders usually pick the roofer while framing is underway.

Are building permits public record?

Yes. Florida Statute 119.07 lets any person inspect and copy public records, and Texas handles requests under the Public Information Act.

Do I need a separate roofing permit in Miami-Dade?

Miami-Dade RER publishes separate roofing application forms, checklists and affidavits. Check the county's Roofing permit page for your job.

Is roofing work growing?

BLS projects roofer jobs to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 12,000 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.

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Sources

1. U.S. BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Roofers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/roofers.htm
2. Miami-Dade County RER, Building (permits, trades, inspections). https://www.miamidade.gov/global/economy/building/home.page
3. National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). https://www.nrca.net/
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