Blog / Roofing

Roofing Permits: How to Search Them and Turn Them Into Leads

45,460 roofing permits on one map across 12 US states. See how roofing contractors turn new permits into leads. 12-hour pass 5 €.

By Mapenzo Team ·

Why roofing permits are good leads

Reroofing is one of the most frequently permitted jobs in American cities. Every new roofing permit tells you that a property owner has already decided to spend money on the building envelope. That matters to more than roofers: gutter installers, skylight and solar companies, insulation contractors, material suppliers and dumpster rental firms all follow roofing activity. Roofing permits also cluster after storms, so watching where they appear is a cheap way to see which neighbourhoods are in a replacement cycle.

The difference between a permit and a normal lead list is timing and intent. A purchased list tells you who might need something one day. A permit tells you that somebody has already filed paperwork with the city, usually with a date, an address and often a value and contractor. You are not guessing.

How many roofing permits Mapenzo shows in the US

The numbers below are verified counts from Mapenzo's US database for 2026 (from 1 January to mid-October 2026; a few sources such as Orlando, New Orleans and Norfolk start earlier). They come from official open data portals of the cities and counties listed, and they are refreshed daily. Only states with at least 100 matching permits are shown, together 45,460 permits.

State Main source areas Roofing permits (2026)
California Los Angeles 16,281
New York New York City 10,092
Illinois Chicago 4,144
Texas Austin 3,458
Louisiana New Orleans 2,846
Florida Orlando 2,396
Pennsylvania Philadelphia 2,306
Maryland Montgomery County 1,796
North Carolina Raleigh 1,116
Washington Seattle 509
Virginia Norfolk 349
Arizona Mesa 167

California leads with 16,281 permits. Coverage in the US is currently city- and county-based, not statewide, so the table shows the main area for each state. Click a city to open its roofing permit page, or see the state overview for California.

How to use the data, step by step

  1. Use the roofing filter and zoom to the ZIP codes you serve. Clusters of permits on the same streets usually mean hail or wind damage, and neighbours who have not filed yet are often next.
  2. Check the valuation where it is published. A high value usually means full tear-off and new decking, a low value a repair.
  3. Solar installers should watch reroofs closely: a fresh roof is the best moment to add panels.
  4. Suppliers can count permits per contractor to see who is growing and who to visit first.

A practical routine for roofing contractors: every Monday, open the map for your service area, filter to the last seven days, export or note the new addresses, and plan visits, letters or calls. The work takes fifteen minutes, and because the same data is not on your competitors' desks, the conversations start earlier.

What a permit record contains

Fields differ by city, but most records include the permit type and description, the date filed or issued, the address and coordinates, and the status. Many cities also publish the estimated value of the work and the contractor name; Chicago, Orlando, Marin County and several others publish contractors for most records. Mapenzo normalises these sources into one map and one set of trade filters, so you do not need to learn fourteen different city portals.

Be aware of the limits. Mapenzo only shows what the city publishes, and some cities classify work types loosely, so a small share of records may sit under a broader category such as mechanical or alterations. When in doubt, read the original description, which is always shown on the permit card.

Beyond the US

The same map covers building permits in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, plus over 33,000 energy projects and 4,323 existing data centres. If you sell across borders, one account covers all of it, in your own language.

Try it

Mapenzo has a simple way to test this: a 12-hour pass for 5 € opens every country, every permit and every layer, including energy projects and data centres. If you then subscribe, your first month is 50% off. Personal plans are 20, 50 or 80 € per month, and Team plans for sales teams are 40, 100 or 150 € per month.

Open the map or start with the Los Angeles page.

FAQ

Where does Mapenzo get roofing permit data?

From official open data portals of US cities and counties, such as Los Angeles, refreshed daily.

How many roofing permits are on Mapenzo?

45,460 in the US states listed in this article for 2026, plus permits in nine European countries.

Is Mapenzo available in every US state?

Not yet. Permit-level data covers areas in 14 states; more cities are being added.

How much does it cost?

A 12-hour all-access pass costs 5 €. New subscribers get 50% off the first month.

Frequently asked questions

Where does Mapenzo get roofing permit data?

From official open data portals of US cities and counties, such as Los Angeles, refreshed daily.

How many roofing permits are on Mapenzo?

45,460 in the US states listed in this article for 2026, plus permits in nine European countries.

Is Mapenzo available in every US state?

Not yet. Permit-level data covers areas in 14 states; more cities are being added.

How much does it cost?

A 12-hour all-access pass costs 5 €. New subscribers get 50% off the first month.

Try 12 h for 5 €Try Open map