# Dallas Building Permits Scraper (`realestateapi/dallas-building-permits-properties-and-details-scraper`) Actor

Search the City of Dallas historical building permits dataset for permit type, issue date, project value, work description, land use, address, contractor, and ZIP code. The source is no longer updated; active permit tracking moved to the Dallas Accela portal.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/realestateapi/dallas-building-permits-properties-and-details-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Real Estate API](https://apify.com/realestateapi) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.99 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.

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

## Dallas Building Permits Scraper

Collects structured permit rows from the public [City of Dallas Building Permits dataset](https://www.dallasopendata.com/d/e7gq-4sah) through its SODA JSON endpoint. The source exposes 11 columns and reported 126,840 rows when last updated on August 30, 2020. Dallas labels it historical and says active permit tracking has moved to the [Accela Citizen Access Portal](https://aca-prod.accela.com/DALLASTX/Login.aspx); this Actor does not return current permit status.

### Input

```json
{
  "maxItems": 100,
  "permitType": "Electrical (EL) Commercial  Alteration",
  "zipCode": "75228",
  "minValue": 1000
}
```

`permitType` and `landUse` are optional case-insensitive exact matches. `zipCode` is an optional five-digit match, `minValue` filters the source `value` column, and `issuedAfter` accepts an exclusive `YYYY-MM-DD` or `MM/DD/YY` date. Since the source date is text, the Actor filters date patterns through the SODA endpoint and verifies exact dates after parsing. `maxItems` is 1–1,000. When `issuedAfter` is provided, `maxPages` (1–100, default 20) caps API pages. Request timeout and retry bounds are listed under Developer Options.

### Output

Each dataset item is one permit and carries the 11 original source fields in `sourceFields`, normalized permit/address/project/contractor fields, nested `permitDetails`, `propertyDetails`, `financialDetails`, `contractorDetails`, `datasetMetadata`, the applied filters, and source URLs. It includes more than 35 top-level fields. The permit type is split into category/code/occupancy/work type only when the source value follows the observed format. The contractor name, address, and phone are parsed only when the source text has a recognizable address/phone pattern.

The source does not publish coordinates, a unit for `area`, or an explicit currency column. Those are not fabricated. `projectValueCurrency: USD` is explicitly labeled as an inference from the source's Dallas, Texas jurisdiction.

### Run and verify

Run `apify validate-schema`, `npm test`, and `npm run lint`. A local Actor run can use `apify run --input-file <path-to-input.json>`; its output is written under `storage/datasets/default`. `RUN_METADATA` reports the record count, status, filters, source rows/pages, completion reason, and source update date. A source failure with zero saved permits is `FAILED` / `FAILED`; after one or more permits have been saved, the run remains `SUCCEEDED` / `PARTIAL`. A completed or intentionally capped response is `SUCCEEDED` / `COMPLETED`. The dataset contains permit records only; errors remain in aggregate run metadata. No cloud Actor is deployed by this project.

Earlier project notes labeled the dataset CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, but the current browser review did not independently confirm a dataset-specific license. Verify the current license terms before redistributing records and retain City attribution.

# Actor input Schema

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

Maximum number of source-backed permit records to return.

## `permitType` (type: `string`):

Optional case-insensitive exact match, such as Building (BU) Single Family  New Construction.

## `landUse` (type: `string`):

Optional case-insensitive exact match, such as SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING.

## `zipCode` (type: `string`):

Optional five-digit ZIP code.

## `minValue` (type: `number`):

Optional minimum numeric value from the source's Value column. The source does not declare a currency field.

## `issuedAfter` (type: `string`):

Optional exclusive date filter. Accepts YYYY-MM-DD or MM/DD/YY. The historical source's issue date is stored as text.

## `maxPages` (type: `integer`):

Bounded API pages used when issuedAfter is set; each page requests at most 1,000 source rows.

## `requestTimeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Maximum wait for each City of Dallas API request.

## `maxRetries` (type: `integer`):

Retries for transient HTTP and network errors.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 100,
  "maxPages": 20,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 30,
  "maxRetries": 2
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 = {};

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

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("realestateapi/dallas-building-permits-properties-and-details-scraper").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 '{}' |
apify call realestateapi/dallas-building-permits-properties-and-details-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,realestateapi/dallas-building-permits-properties-and-details-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

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/Y0js4Ogxh58oiaMqf/builds/IKY2c4us6wmIfryvY/openapi.json