How solar installers get new construction work from builders using permit data

Why new construction is worth chasing for solar

Residential retrofit sales got harder this year. SEIA and Wood Mackenzie report 995 MWdc of residential solar installed in Q2 2026, down 12% from a year earlier, after the Section 25D residential credit expired at the end of 2025. They expect the residential segment to contract 23% in 2026 (SEIA).

New construction is a different sale. You pitch one builder, who may repeat across a subdivision. 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.

The trade itself is small and growing fast. BLS counts 31,100 solar PV installer jobs in 2025 and projects 37% growth through 2035 (BLS). BLS also notes that installers sometimes need roofers and electricians on the job, so knowing who is on the permit helps.

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 solar scope

• Roof area and stories. Square footage on the permit is a rough proxy for usable roof.
• Builder type. A custom builder may take a homeowner-paid option, while a production builder thinks per-plan.
• Timing. Pitch before dry-in so conduit and panel space get planned.

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 solar?" 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 solar leads on new construction?

Track newly issued new-home permits and call the builder before dry-in with a solar-ready or full-system option. You are selling to a builder who can repeat the spec, not to one homeowner.

Is residential solar slowing down in 2026?

Yes. SEIA reports residential installs fell 12% year over year in Q2 2026 and expects a 23% contraction for the year after the 25D credit expired.

What is solar-ready construction?

Planning conduit, panel capacity and roof layout during the build so panels can be added later without rework. Pitching it at framing costs the builder far less than a retrofit.

Where can I find new home 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 record?

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

Is solar installation a growing job?

BLS projects solar PV installer jobs to grow 37% from 2025 to 2035, the fastest of the trades covered here.

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.

Related guides

HVAC leads · Electrical leads · Plumbing leads · Roofing leads · All guides

Sources

1. SEIA / Wood Mackenzie, Solar Market Insight Report Q3 2026. https://seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-q3-2026/
2. U.S. BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Solar photovoltaic installers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/solar-photovoltaic-installers.htm
3. U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly New Residential Construction, September 2026 (released Oct 20, 2026). https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/current/index.html
4. City of Austin, AB+C Public Search. https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/public-search-other
5. City of Austin Open Data, Issued Construction Permits (dataset 3syk-w9eu). https://data.austintexas.gov/d/3syk-w9eu
6. Miami-Dade County RER, Electronic Plan Submittal / permit portal. https://www.miamidade.gov/Apps/RER/EPSPortal/
7. City of Orlando, Permits & Inspections. https://www.orlando.gov/Building-Development/Permits-Inspections
8. City of Orlando Open Data, building permits (dataset ryhf-m453). https://data.cityoforlando.net/d/ryhf-m453
9. Florida Statutes §119.07, Inspection and copying of records. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/119.07
10. 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