# US Building Permits Scraper (`lentic_clockss/us-building-permits-scraper`) Actor Scrape building permit data from 8 major US cities and NJ statewide. Search by keyword (HVAC, solar, roofing, plumbing, electrical). Get permit type, address, contractor, cost, status, and dates. Powered by official Socrata Open Data APIs. - **URL**: https://apify.com/lentic\_clockss/us-building-permits-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [kane liu](https://apify.com/lentic_clockss) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, Real estate - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $2.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## US Building Permits Scraper Scrape building permit data from **8 major US cities** and **NJ statewide** using official government open data APIs. Search by keyword to find HVAC, solar, roofing, plumbing, electrical, and other permit types. ### Coverage | City | Records | Source | |------|---------|--------| | New York City | 917K+ | NYC Open Data (Socrata) | | New Jersey (statewide) | 2.68M+ | NJ Open Data (Socrata) | | Austin, TX | 2.35M+ | Austin Open Data (Socrata) | | San Francisco, CA | 1.29M+ | SF Open Data (Socrata) | | Chicago, IL | 832K+ | Chicago Open Data (Socrata) | | Cincinnati, OH | 174K+ | Cincinnati Open Data (Socrata) | | Honolulu, HI | 432K+ | Honolulu Open Data (Socrata) | | Seattle, WA | 189K+ | Seattle Open Data (Socrata) | **Total: 8.8M+ permits across 8 sources** ### Use Cases - **HVAC contractors**: Find new HVAC installations and replacements in your service area - **Solar installers**: Track solar permit filings to identify active markets - **Roofing companies**: Monitor roofing permits for lead generation - **Real estate investors**: Analyze renovation activity by neighborhood - **Market researchers**: Track construction trends across US cities ### Input | Parameter | Type | Required | Description | |-----------|------|----------|-------------| | keyword | string | Yes | Search term (e.g. "HVAC", "solar", "roofing") | | cities | array | No | Which cities to query (default: all) | | maxResults | integer | No | Max permits per city (default: 50, max: 1000) | | since | string | No | Only permits after this date (YYYY-MM-DD) | ### Output Each permit record contains the original fields from the source city, plus: - `_city`: City name - `_city_key`: City identifier - `_source_url`: Link to the data source - `_scraped_at`: Timestamp - `_keyword`: Search keyword used Common fields across cities include permit ID, address, permit type, status, contractor name, estimated cost, issue date, and description. Field names vary by city as each uses its own schema. ### Pricing $2 per 1,000 results (Pay-Per-Event). No monthly fees — you only pay for what you use. ### Data Source All data comes from official US government Socrata Open Data portals. These are public records published by city and state governments. No authentication or API keys required. # Actor input Schema ## `keyword` (type: `string`): What to search for in permit descriptions (e.g. 'HVAC', 'solar', 'roofing', 'plumbing', 'electrical', 'demolition') ## `cities` (type: `array`): Select which cities/states to query. Default: all 8 sources. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum permits to collect from each city. ## `since` (type: `string`): Only return permits issued/filed after this date (YYYY-MM-DD). Leave empty for all dates. ## Actor input object example ```json { "keyword": "HVAC", "cities": [ "nyc", "austin", "nj", "sf", "chicago", "cincinnati", "honolulu", "seattle" ], "maxResults": 50 } ```` # Actor output Schema ## `permits` (type: `string`): Dataset containing all scraped building permit records # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "keyword": "HVAC" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("lentic_clockss/us-building-permits-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "keyword": "HVAC" } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("lentic_clockss/us-building-permits-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "keyword": "HVAC" }' | apify call lentic_clockss/us-building-permits-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lentic_clockss/us-building-permits-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "US Building Permits Scraper", "description": "Scrape building permit data from 8 major US cities and NJ statewide. Search by keyword (HVAC, solar, roofing, plumbing, electrical). Get permit type, address, contractor, cost, status, and dates. Powered by official Socrata Open Data APIs.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "IvlCwl82ulyP37L77" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/lentic_clockss~us-building-permits-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lentic_clockss-us-building-permits-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/lentic_clockss~us-building-permits-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-lentic_clockss-us-building-permits-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/lentic_clockss~us-building-permits-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-lentic_clockss-us-building-permits-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "keyword" ], "properties": { "keyword": { "title": "Search keyword", "type": "string", "description": "What to search for in permit descriptions (e.g. 'HVAC', 'solar', 'roofing', 'plumbing', 'electrical', 'demolition')" }, "cities": { "title": "Cities to search", "type": "array", "description": "Select which cities/states to query. Default: all 8 sources.", "items": { "type": "string", "enum": [ "nyc", "austin", "nj", "sf", "chicago", "cincinnati", "honolulu", "seattle" ] }, "default": [ "nyc", "austin", "nj", "sf", "chicago", "cincinnati", "honolulu", "seattle" ] }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max results per city", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum permits to collect from each city.", "default": 50 }, "since": { "title": "Since date", "type": "string", "description": "Only return permits issued/filed after this date (YYYY-MM-DD). Leave empty for all dates." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```