Which PermitStack Product Do You Need? API vs. Bulk Export

PermitStack sells building-permit data two ways: an API and a bulk CSV export. Some people want to build software or look things up on demand. Some want a big spreadsheet. Those are two different products, and picking the right one takes about two minutes. Here is the plain-English version.

The two products, in one breath

• Permit API: a REST API to query 118M+ U.S. building permits (address, work type, dates, value, contractor, and the owner of record where the source carries it). Free tier, then paid plans from $29 to $499 a month. For developers, analysts and teams who want to build, research or automate.
• Bulk Data Export: a jurisdiction's full permit history as CSV files delivered by email, no code required, priced per jurisdiction with no subscription. For loading permit data into your own system in one shot.

"I want to build software or analyze the market" → Permit API

If you are a developer, a proptech startup, or an analyst, the API is your product. You get a normalized REST endpoint across 8,000+ U.S. cities in 48 states and DC, with every permit classified into categories (solar, roofing, HVAC, new construction, and more), geocoded, and filterable by city, ZIP, category, date, value, and contractor. There is a free tier (100 requests/day) so you can try it before paying. See the API docs for the full schema.

"I want homeowners to mail or knock" → it depends on volume

If you are a roofer, solar installer, HVAC company, or any trade that markets to homeowners, you have two routes. For a one-time list of every permit in your city, start with the CSV export: it needs no code and gives you every permit we hold for that jurisdiction. For a standing feed of new permits by trade and ZIP, use the API with a saved search or a webhook, and see permit data for contractors for the no-code starting points.

If you need to reach the owner, only the API can help, and only partly: see the next section.

"I want a big CSV to load into my own system" → Bulk Data Export

If you would rather not write code and just want the data in a file, use Bulk Data Export. Pick your jurisdictions, and we email you a CSV package you can drop into a spreadsheet, CRM, or database. It is the fastest way to seed your own system with permit history without touching an API.

Does either include the property owner?

The API returns the owner of record's name on every plan, including free, wherever the source publishes it. The owner's mailing address comes from county assessor rolls, so we hold it only where the county publishes one (coverage differs sharply from county to county), and the API returns it on the Business plan ($149/mo) and above. Bulk CSV exports carry no owner data at all. This trips up a lot of people, so we wrote a whole explainer on it: Permit Data vs. Property-Owner Data: Why They're Not the Same Thing.

Quick decision guide

• Build an app, dashboard, or model → Permit API
• Do market research or find renovation waves → Permit API (or Bulk Export)
• Send direct mail to homeowners → Permit API on Business, where the county publishes owner mailing addresses
• Load permit history into your own CRM or database → Bulk Data Export
• Look up one property's permit history → the free Search tool or Property History