11,088 recent building permits filed in Austin. Updated daily from public records.
11,088 permits
Plumbing for Residential Construction Trailer ref C8J-2020-0013.2B
Rebuilding electrical service for residential customer.
Austin's construction market is moving fast. Over the last 30 days, 4,143 new permits were filed across the city. That's real opportunity if you know where to look. Electrical work dominates the permit count with 3,535 active permits, followed by plumbing at 3,263 and HVAC at 2,136. New construction permits total 1,019, with another 514 permits classified as other work types. These numbers tell you what's actually getting built right now. The work isn't evenly distributed across Austin. Three zip codes account for a significant portion of all activity: 78744 leads with 876 total permits on file, 78704 has 791, and 78745 has 755. 78757 and 78723 round out the top five with 549 and 533 permits respectively. If you're an electrician, plumber, or HVAC contractor, these zip codes are your best hunting grounds. General contractors bidding new construction should monitor all five zones. Permit value varies across project types and locations, so you'll need to evaluate each job individually. The key is catching permits early. Contractors who monitor filings within the first week typically have the best chance of connecting with GCs or property owners before bids are locked in. Electrical and plumbing work make up the bulk of the permit volume, which means steady work is available if you're tracking the right data. DigPermit updates Austin permit data daily, pulling directly from public records. Staying current matters. A permit filed yesterday might already have three other contractors bidding on it today. The contractors who win consistent work are the ones checking the data regularly and following up fast.
Monitor permit filings daily. New construction permits in Austin average around 1,019 on file at any given time, with 4,143 permits filed in just the last 30 days. Set up alerts for your target zip codes (78744, 78704, 78745, 78757, and 78723 are the most active) and follow up within the first few days of filing. That's when you have the best chance of reaching the GC or owner before they've already selected their subs. Track electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permits separately if those are your trades, since those make up the majority of work.
Electrical work leads by a wide margin with 3,535 permits. Plumbing is second with 3,263 permits. HVAC follows with 2,136 permits. New construction accounts for 1,019 permits, and miscellaneous other work makes up 514 permits. If you're an electrician, you have the most work available. Plumbers and HVAC contractors have solid volume too. These numbers come from 11,802 total permits on file, so you're looking at a real, active market.
78744 is the most active with 876 permits. 78704 has 791, and 78745 has 755. 78757 and 78723 round out the top five with 549 and 533 permits respectively. If you're deciding where to focus your lead generation efforts, start here. These five zip codes represent the highest concentration of active work in Austin. Depending on your trade, you might find one or two of these zones more relevant than others based on the types of projects being permitted.
Permit values vary significantly depending on the project type, location, and scope of work. A residential electrical permit will be valued differently than a new construction project or a commercial HVAC installation. Rather than relying on an average, evaluate each permit individually based on the project details listed in the filing. The permit data shows project type, location, and scope information that will help you estimate the work involved and determine if it's worth pursuing.
Austin permit data is updated daily from public records. This means you should check at least once per day if you're serious about capturing leads early. Contractors who check multiple times per week have a clear advantage. The sooner you see a new filing and follow up, the better your odds of landing the work. Setting up daily alerts for your target zip codes and trade types will keep you in front of new opportunities as soon as they hit the system.