Most Canadian contractors find work the same way: wait for a GC to call, check bid boards, respond to public tenders. It works, until it doesn’t. When the phone stops ringing or the bid board dries up, there’s no pipeline to fall back on.
The contractors who stay consistently busy through market cycles are doing something different. They’re not waiting for work to come to them. They’re finding projects at the permit stage, 6 to 8 weeks before anyone else knows the project is happening.
Why permit data is the best lead source most contractors ignore
A building permit is issued before construction starts. That gap, permit issuance to project start, ranges from two weeks on a small commercial TI to four months on a large multi-family build. That’s the window to get in front of the GC before their subcontractor list is finalized.
By contrast, bid boards and public tenders are published after the project is scoped, drawings are done, and the GC is ready to collect quotes. At that stage, you’re one of ten subs quoting the same job with no relationship advantage. The GC already knows who they want to use; the formal quote process is often just due diligence.
Permit data gets you to the conversation before that stage exists.
What the permit data tells you
Each Canadian building permit record includes:
- Address, exact project location
- Type of work, new construction, addition, alteration, demolition
- Declared project value, rough indication of scope and budget
- Permit holder, often the GC or owner-builder
- Issue date, when the permit was approved
That’s enough to answer the key questions: Is this project in my trade’s scope? Is the value large enough to be worth pursuing? Who do I call?
The three types of permits worth tracking
New construction over $250,000. Full scope for most trades. Framing, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, roofing, all of it. The declared value in the permit data is a rough proxy: it is self-reported by the applicant, so treat it as a scale signal rather than a budget figure.
Commercial alterations and TIs over $100,000. Tenant improvements in office, retail, and restaurant spaces are recurring. The same GC often handles the same landlord’s portfolio across multiple locations. One good TI relationship generates repeat work.
Residential additions over $75,000. Additions that expand the heated envelope require mechanical modifications. Additions that add bathrooms require plumbing. The declared value cutoff filters out small decks and sheds while keeping the projects worth calling.
The system that works
Step 1: Monitor permit issuances for your trade and geography. This means checking permit feeds in the cities where you work, filtering for the work types that match your capabilities, and setting a minimum project value threshold. Without a tool, this means downloading and comparing CSV files every week.
Step 2: Identify the GC. The permit holder is often the GC directly. When it’s an owner-builder or developer, a quick search by address usually reveals the GC through contractor association listings, the developer’s other projects, or a phone call to the project site.
Step 3: Call within the first two weeks. The window narrows quickly. A GC working through the permit process is simultaneously locking in their sub list. Calling in week one gets you a real conversation. Calling in week four gets you “we’re already staffed.”
Step 4: Have a reason. “I saw your permit for [address]” is the reason. It shows you’re paying attention. It’s not cold calling, you have specific information about their specific project. That changes the conversation.
Step 5: Track the relationship, not just the project. Even if the GC is staffed for this one, you’ve established contact. Follow up after the project. The GC who knows your name and knows you pay attention will call you next time.
How many permits is enough
In Vancouver, a specialty trade monitoring new construction and major additions will see 40-80 relevant permit events per month. At a 25% rate of reaching the right contact and a 30% conversion to a quote, that’s 3-6 new quote opportunities per month.
In smaller markets like Kelowna, Victoria, or Hamilton, the volume is lower but the competition for the work is also lower. The math still works.
What this looks like in practice
A mechanical contractor based in Burnaby signs up for SiteWire, sets filters for new construction and additions over $200,000 in Burnaby and North Vancouver, and gets permit alerts by email. They call on five permits per week. By month three, they have two new GC relationships generating repeat mechanical sub work.
That’s not a dramatic outcome. It’s a systematic one. The contractors running this system consistently outperform those waiting for the phone to ring.
Start your free trial at sitewire.ca, 14 days free, no credit card required.