How do contractors find homeowners who need repairs?

Code-enforcement violations are public record and flag required repairs. PermitGrab joins open violations with property-owner data and filters to properties with no permit yet, so contractors can reach owners who are required to do work in their trade but have not hired anyone.

Are code violation leads better than shared leads?

For many contractors, yes — a violation means the work is mandated, not just being considered, and the no-permit filter means the owner has not hired yet, versus shared-lead networks that resell the same homeowner to several contractors.

Forced-Work Leads

Q: What is a forced-work lead?

A property with an open code-enforcement violation that legally requires repair work in a given trade, where no permit has been pulled yet and the property owner is attached. It signals a homeowner who must do work and has not yet hired a contractor.

A forced-work lead is a property with an open code-enforcement violation that legally requires repair work in your trade, where no permit has been pulled yet and the property owner is attached. It is the highest-intent lead in home services — the city is requiring the work, and the empty permit record means the owner has not hired anyone yet. PermitGrab is surfacing 3,962 forced-work candidates across 4 markets right now.

How forced-work leads work

When a property gets cited by code enforcement — a roof in disrepair, an unsafe porch or stair, exposed wiring, a failed system — the owner has to fix it or face accruing fines. PermitGrab joins three public-record signals nobody else combines: the open violation (what work is required), the property owner of record (who to reach), and the absence of a matching permit (proof they have not hired yet). Each lead is scored by violation severity, freshness, trade fit, and owner type. The moment a permit appears on a property, we remove it — that owner has probably already hired.

Where forced-work leads are live

New York City — 2,000 forced-work candidates
Philadelphia — 1,111 forced-work candidates
Chicago — 837 forced-work candidates
Miami — 14 forced-work candidates

Rolling out first across our highest-volume code-enforcement markets; more cities added as owner coverage grows.

Why this beats a permit list or a lead network

Shared-lead networks resell the same homeowner to several contractors. Permit lists only show work that has already been hired out. Forced-work leads are the opposite: work that is required but not yet assigned, in your trade, in your service area — reach the owner before anyone else knows.

See the forced-work owners in your city

Owner name and mailing address are included on every forced-work lead — mail or knock today. Flat $149/mo · 14-day trial · never resold.

Start your free 14-day trial →

Read the full breakdown in Forced-Work Leads: reach homeowners required to hire a contractor, or see the live permit feed.