# Minneapolis Building Permits Scraper — Contractor Leads (`parallelstudio/twin-cities-building-permits`) Actor

Daily Minneapolis building permits from official open data: contractor name & address, permit value, work type, address, parcel ID, lat/long. Roofing, solar, HVAC & remodel leads.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parallelstudio/twin-cities-building-permits.md
- **Developed by:** [Parallel Studio](https://apify.com/parallelstudio) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Real estate
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$4.00 / 1,000 permits

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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Minneapolis Building Permits Scraper — Contractor Leads

Get **fresh building permits from the City of Minneapolis** as clean, analysis-ready JSON/CSV/Excel: permit number, issue date, address, parcel ID (APN), neighborhood, ward, latitude/longitude, permit & work type, **valuation**, fees, new/eliminated dwelling units, job description and the **contractor/applicant name and address**.

### Who uses it

- Roofers, HVAC, solar, window, landscaping and remodel companies building **lead lists**
- Building-material suppliers and lenders prospecting active contractors
- Investors tracking **teardowns, new construction and additions**
- Journalists and researchers following local development

### Input

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| daysBack | Permits issued in the last N days (default 14). Use `3650` to reach back to the start of the city's records (Dec 2016) |
| minValue | Minimum permit valuation in $ |
| permitTypes | e.g. `Res`, `Comm` (empty = all) |
| workTypes | e.g. `New`, `Addition`, `Remodel`, `Misc`, `Wreck` |
| keyword | Text in the job description, e.g. `roof`, `solar`, `deck` |
| maxItems | Cap on results |

### Example input

```json
{
  "daysBack": 7,
  "minValue": 10000,
  "permitTypes": [
    "Res"
  ],
  "workTypes": [],
  "keyword": "roof",
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Example output (real record from the 2026-10-12 cloud run)

```json
{
  "city": "Minneapolis",
  "permitNumber": "BLDG1204564",
  "issueDate": "2026-10-09T18:18:46.000Z",
  "completeDate": null,
  "status": "Issued",
  "milestone": "Final Inspection",
  "address": "410 THOMAS AVE S",
  "parcelId": "2902924130003",
  "neighborhood": "Bryn - Mawr",
  "ward": "7",
  "latitude": 44.97316,
  "longitude": -93.31382,
  "permitType": "Res",
  "occupancyType": "SFD",
  "workType": "Misc",
  "value": 13000,
  "fees": 337.3,
  "dwellingUnitsNew": 0,
  "dwellingUnitsEliminated": 0,
  "description": "Remove shingles on house & detached garage, inspect decking, install ice & water shield to code, install new shingles & roof components",
  "contractor": "JTR Roofing Inc",
  "contractorAddress": "11200 Stillwater Blvd N #106B, Lake Elmo",
  "source": "City of Minneapolis Open Data (CCS Permits)"
}
```

### Data quality & history (measured, not promised)

We checked the official feed on 2026-10-13 so you know what you get before you run it:

- **History back to December 1, 2016**: about **409,000 Minneapolis permits** in total, roughly 40,000 to 47,000 a year (42,698 in 2017, 47,056 in 2024, 39,308 in 2025). Set `daysBack` high and raise `maxItems` to pull multi-year history for market studies or contractor track records.
- **Volume right now**: 11,124 permits issued in the 90 days to Oct 11, 2026, about 120 a day.
- **Field completeness** across the 2,000 most recent permits:

| Field | Filled |
|---|---|
| Contractor/applicant name & address, parcel ID, latitude/longitude, permit value, fees, permit & work type, status | 100% |
| Neighborhood, ward | 99.6% |
| Job description | 99.5% |
| Occupancy type (SFD, duplex, commercial...) | 75.8% |
| Dwelling units new/eliminated (the city leaves it blank on the rest; we output 0) | 42.5% |
| Complete date (mostly blank because the permit is still open) | 8.1% |

- **Straight from the source**: every row comes from the City of Minneapolis CCS Permits feed at run time, sorted newest first, with the same permit number the city uses, so you can de-duplicate daily runs on `permitNumber`.

### FAQ

**How do I get only new permits every day?** Schedule the actor daily with `daysBack: 1` (or `2` for overlap) and de-duplicate on `permitNumber`.

**Can I get roofing (or solar, HVAC, deck) leads only?** Use `keyword`, e.g. `roof`, `solar`, `furnace`, `deck`. It matches the job description text.

**Does it cover St. Paul or the suburbs?** Not yet. This actor covers the City of Minneapolis only.

### Pricing

Pay per event: **$0.004 per permit** returned. No start fee, no proxies needed, runs in seconds. Schedule it daily with `daysBack: 1` for a steady lead feed.

### Data source & legality

Official public open data published by the City of Minneapolis ([Open Data portal](https://opendata.minneapolismn.gov/?utm_source=apify\&utm_medium=listing\&utm_campaign=twin-cities-building-permits)). No login, no personal account data. Always follow local rules for marketing outreach.

# Actor input Schema

## `daysBack` (type: `integer`):

Issued in last N days. Use 3650 for full history back to Dec 2016.

## `minValue` (type: `integer`):

Minimum permit value ($)

## `permitTypes` (type: `array`):

Permit types (Res, Comm...) empty = all

## `workTypes` (type: `array`):

Work types (New, Addition, Remodel, Misc...)

## `keyword` (type: `string`):

Keyword in description

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Max results

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "daysBack": 7,
  "minValue": 10000,
  "permitTypes": [
    "Res"
  ],
  "workTypes": [],
  "keyword": "roof",
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All records from the default dataset (JSON/CSV/Excel via the dataset API).

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "daysBack": 7,
    "minValue": 10000,
    "permitTypes": [
        "Res"
    ],
    "workTypes": [],
    "keyword": "roof",
    "maxItems": 200
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parallelstudio/twin-cities-building-permits").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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "daysBack": 7,
    "minValue": 10000,
    "permitTypes": ["Res"],
    "workTypes": [],
    "keyword": "roof",
    "maxItems": 200,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parallelstudio/twin-cities-building-permits").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "daysBack": 7,
  "minValue": 10000,
  "permitTypes": [
    "Res"
  ],
  "workTypes": [],
  "keyword": "roof",
  "maxItems": 200
}' |
apify call parallelstudio/twin-cities-building-permits --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parallelstudio/twin-cities-building-permits"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dCrCvzEk9VypqFOBJ/builds/bk9VWHLEomJmNDUSc/openapi.json