How fresh is Austin new-construction permit data?

Daily refresh from data.austintexas.gov. New permits typically appear in PermitGrab within 24 hours of issue. ADU and addition permits are flagged separately from new-build SFR permits.

Can I get notifications when new permits are filed?

Yes. Pro plan includes daily email digests filtered to your saved searches. Most Austin GCs run a daily digest filtered to their target permit types + minimum value threshold.

Does PermitGrab tell me who the GC of record is on a permit?

Where the permit data captures it, yes. Austin's permit feed includes a CONTRACTOR field that's populated on roughly 60-75% of issued permits. The remaining 25-40% are owner-builder filings or have the field blank.

How does Austin compare to Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio for new-construction lead-gen?

Austin has the highest median project value of any TX metro ($89K median residential addition vs $42K Houston, $51K San Antonio). For design-build GCs targeting $200K+ work, Austin produces more eligible leads per dollar of marketing spend.

Can I filter to ADU-only or specific permit types?

Yes. Permit type filtering supports ADU, ADDITION, NEW, REMODEL, MOVED, DEMOLITION as separate categories. ADU permits average 80-120 per month in Austin and are a particularly underserved sub-niche.

How to Find New Construction Projects in Austin (2026)

Published 2026-05-04 · 8 min read · Audience: GCs and subcontractors finding new construction work

Most Austin general contractors and subcontractors find new work the way they did in 2005: word-of-mouth referrals, a Houzz Pro subscription, occasional Facebook ads, and the rolodex of architects they've built relationships with over the years. That works — until it doesn't. The crew has slack capacity, the pipeline is empty, and the GC is making cold calls or posting in the local builder Facebook group hoping for scraps.

The Austin permit office issues 800-1,500 new residential permits per month plus 200-400 commercial permits. Each one is a project in progress: a homeowner who hired an architect, paid for plans, paid permit fees, and is now committed to a project. They're past the dreamer phase and either have a GC or are about to choose one. This guide shows how to find those projects systematically.

The 4 categories of "new construction" in Austin permit data

Permit data lumps everything under "construction permits" but the categories that matter for finding actual buildable work are:

Ground-up new builds — Single-family residence, multi-family, commercial. Permit type usually NEW or BUILD or NSFR (New Single Family Residence). Most permits will indicate construction value $200K+.
Major additions — Adding square footage to an existing structure. Permit type ADDITION or ADD or ADDN. Typical values $80K-$500K.
ADU/secondary unit construction — Accessory dwelling units. Austin allows up to 1,100 sqft ADUs in most SFR zones. Permit type ADU or DETACHED or 2NDUNIT. Values $80K-$250K.
Major remodels — Structural changes, kitchen/bath gut renovations, garage conversions. Permit type REMODEL or ALTER or RENOVATE with permit value typically $50K+.

The first three categories are the gold-tier targets for new-construction-focused GCs. Major remodels are higher volume but the project is typically already won by the homeowner's existing design-build relationship.

Step-by-step: how to find new Austin construction in PermitGrab

Filter by city to Austin (or expand to all of Travis County for broader coverage including Bee Cave, Lakeway, West Lake Hills).
Filter by permit type to NEW + ADDITION + ADU. Skip remodel for new-construction prospecting.
Filter by minimum project value — $200K for ground-up SFR, $80K for additions, $50K for ADUs. Skip the small jobs.
Sort by issue date descending — work the freshest permits first. The first contractor to engage typically wins because most homeowners are 2-4 weeks away from finalizing their GC selection.
Cross-reference with the architect/designer name — if you see the same firm filing 5+ permits per month, they're a high-leverage referral source. Build a relationship with their PMs.
Export to CSV on Pro plan. Sync to your CRM via Zapier (10-minute setup).

What outreach actually works for new-construction permit leads

The best-converting outreach script reference s the specific permit: "I noticed you filed a permit for an ADU at [address] last week. We just completed a similar project in [adjacent neighborhood] and I wanted to see if you've finalized your contractor selection." Conversion rates on this type of personalized, permit-anchored outreach run 12-22% in Austin vs 2-4% on generic cold lists.

Subcontractors (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, framing, roofing) take a different angle: they target the GC name on the permit, not the homeowner. Your message to the GC: "I noticed you're working a [project type] at [address]. We have crews available for [trade] starting [date] and can give you a quote in 24 hours." This works because most GCs don't have all subs locked in at permit-issue time, and same-day responsiveness wins business.

Austin's architect ecosystem (the meta-play)

The 20 most prolific architects in Austin file roughly 35-45% of all design-build-relevant permits in the metro. Building a referral relationship with even 2-3 of those firms produces predictable lead flow that doesn't depend on permit-data outreach at all. PermitGrab's permit history view shows the architect/designer name on every filing, so you can sort by frequency and rank-order your outreach list.

This is the highest-leverage play we see Austin design-build GCs run. Five hours of relationship-building per month with the right architects produces more contracts than 50 hours of cold homeowner outreach.

$149/mo unlimited Austin + Travis County permit access. 14-day free trial. Design-build GC onboarding →