PropertyLabs Research
Data-grounded reports for lenders, developers, and contractors — built from municipal-source permit data and PropertyLabs normalization, with visible methodology. No filler pages, no unsupported rankings.
Browse the coverage observatory for official municipal sources and field availability
Latest flagship report
Across PropertyLabs’ 15 tracked Canadian cities, 43,174 permits were recorded and $12.5B in declared value logged between January 1 and July 19, 2026.
Where Calgary’s next multifamily supply is being permitted, by community, applicant concentration, and project scale.
A national read on US permit volume, value, and weekly city leadership across 25 tracked markets through the first 29 weeks of 2026.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Toronto, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Vancouver, BC.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Winnipeg, MB.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Edmonton, AB.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Mississauga, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Montreal, QC.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Oakville, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Waterloo, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Cambridge, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Sudbury, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Brampton, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for St. Catharines, ON.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for St. Albert, AB.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Los Angeles, CA.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Austin, TX.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Philadelphia, PA.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Boston, MA.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Chicago, IL.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Orlando, FL.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Minneapolis, MN.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for New Orleans, LA.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Cleveland, OH.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Louisville, KY.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Bellevue, WA.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Boulder, CO.
Permit volume, value, and asset-class trends for Seattle, WA.
Permit data is valuable because it is municipal-source activity data. It is also uneven: cities publish different fields, use different definitions, and refresh on different schedules.
Permit activity can reveal that a municipality has recorded a project-related event. It should be used as a research signal, with source context and responsible outreach practices.
Public permit activity can add time and location context to a market review. The strongest use is disciplined monitoring that distinguishes a municipal record from a confirmed business event.
Building permit fields are useful precisely when they are read as municipal record fields. Their definitions and completeness vary by city and record.
A development permit deals with land use and site planning — what can go on a property and how it fits its surroundings. A building permit deals with construction itself — whether the physical work meets code. Many jurisdictions require both, on separate timelines, from separate departments.
The applicant is whoever submitted the permit filing to the municipality. It can be the property owner, a contractor, an architect, an agent, or another authorized party — the field alone does not tell you which.
The contractor field, when a municipality publishes one, identifies the business a permit applicant named as performing the work at filing time. It is not a licensing verification, a performance record, or proof the named contractor is still on the project.
Declared construction value is a self-reported estimate the applicant provides at filing time, usually to calculate permit fees. It is not an appraisal, a final project cost, or a proxy for property market value.
A permit typically has more than one date on record — when it was applied for, when it was formally issued, and often a broader "activity" date used for status updates. Choosing the wrong one can distort a time-based analysis.
Status fields like "issued," "active," "finaled," or "closed" describe a permit’s position in a specific municipality’s review-and-inspection workflow. The same word can mean different things in different cities, and no status confirms construction has physically started or finished.
Work class describes the nature of the physical work — such as new construction, alteration, addition, repair, or renovation. It is typically reported alongside, but is a different field from, the broader permit type category.
A demolition permit authorizes the removal of an existing structure, or part of one. It does not by itself confirm what, if anything, will be built afterward, or when.
An occupancy permit, or certificate of occupancy, is typically the final sign-off confirming a building or space meets code for its intended use and can be legally occupied. It is a separate record from the building permit that authorized construction, and not every city publishes it as open data.
Residential and commercial building permits typically follow different code requirements, review processes, and sometimes entirely different fee schedules and application systems, because the buildings they cover have different life-safety and use requirements.
These remain useful reference pages for interpreting permit fields, coverage, freshness, entity labels, and other edge cases that should travel with every research conclusion.
Research guide
Permit data is valuable because it is municipal-source activity data. It is also uneven: cities publish different fields, use different definitions, and refresh on different schedules.
Read the guideResearch guide
Permit activity can reveal that a municipality has recorded a project-related event. It should be used as a research signal, with source context and responsible outreach practices.
Read the guideResearch guide
Public permit activity can add time and location context to a market review. The strongest use is disciplined monitoring that distinguishes a municipal record from a confirmed business event.
Read the guideResearch guide
Building permit fields are useful precisely when they are read as municipal record fields. Their definitions and completeness vary by city and record.
Read the guideResearch guide
A development permit deals with land use and site planning — what can go on a property and how it fits its surroundings. A building permit deals with construction itself — whether the physical work meets code. Many jurisdictions require both, on separate timelines, from separate departments.
Read the guideResearch guide
The applicant is whoever submitted the permit filing to the municipality. It can be the property owner, a contractor, an architect, an agent, or another authorized party — the field alone does not tell you which.
Read the guideResearch guide
The contractor field, when a municipality publishes one, identifies the business a permit applicant named as performing the work at filing time. It is not a licensing verification, a performance record, or proof the named contractor is still on the project.
Read the guideResearch guide
Declared construction value is a self-reported estimate the applicant provides at filing time, usually to calculate permit fees. It is not an appraisal, a final project cost, or a proxy for property market value.
Read the guideResearch guide
A permit typically has more than one date on record — when it was applied for, when it was formally issued, and often a broader "activity" date used for status updates. Choosing the wrong one can distort a time-based analysis.
Read the guideResearch guide
Status fields like "issued," "active," "finaled," or "closed" describe a permit’s position in a specific municipality’s review-and-inspection workflow. The same word can mean different things in different cities, and no status confirms construction has physically started or finished.
Read the guideResearch guide
Work class describes the nature of the physical work — such as new construction, alteration, addition, repair, or renovation. It is typically reported alongside, but is a different field from, the broader permit type category.
Read the guideResearch guide
A demolition permit authorizes the removal of an existing structure, or part of one. It does not by itself confirm what, if anything, will be built afterward, or when.
Read the guideResearch guide
An occupancy permit, or certificate of occupancy, is typically the final sign-off confirming a building or space meets code for its intended use and can be legally occupied. It is a separate record from the building permit that authorized construction, and not every city publishes it as open data.
Read the guideResearch guide
Residential and commercial building permits typically follow different code requirements, review processes, and sometimes entirely different fee schedules and application systems, because the buildings they cover have different life-safety and use requirements.
Read the guideOne email, every other week. New reports, methodology notes, and the permit data worth watching — no filler.
The same data contracts behind these reports are available inside PropertyLabs for city, address, and market-level workflows.