Frequently asked
questions

PermitMap pulls data from two public NYC Open Data APIs maintained by the Department of Buildings: DOB Permit Issuance and DOB NOW Build Approved. Both are official government datasets — no API key is required and all permit data is public record.

Data is refreshed nightly. New permits issued by the DOB typically appear on PermitMap within 24 hours of being published to NYC Open Data.

All five NYC boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. National expansion is planned for a future phase.

Over 600,000 permits and growing. The database covers active permits and historical records. New records are added every night as the DOB publishes them.

Free accounts can browse all 600,000+ permit pages, use the interactive map, search by address or ZIP, and set one active email alert. No credit card required.

Owner names on permits with estimated job costs above $50,000 are partially masked (e.g., "John S****"). Full job cost figures are also hidden. Upgrading to Pro unlocks both.

No. All public permit pages, borough indexes, and the map are accessible without an account. You only need an account to save alerts.

Pro ($39/mo) unlocks: unlimited email alerts, full unmasked owner names on all permits, complete job cost data, CSV export (up to 10,000 rows per export), advanced map filters (type, cost range, date), and read-only API access at 1,000 requests/day.

Yes. Cancel anytime from your billing dashboard. You keep Pro access until the end of your current billing period — no proration, no contracts.

Yes. Choose annual billing at checkout and pay $390/yr — that's two months free compared to monthly. You can switch between monthly and annual from your billing dashboard.

From any permit list or map view, Pro users can export the current filtered results to CSV — up to 10,000 rows per export. The file includes all permit fields: address, work type, owner, contractor, job cost, dates, coordinates, and BIN number.

You save an address or ZIP code as an alert. When a new permit is filed that matches your criteria, PermitMap sends you an email. Free accounts get 1 active alert. Pro accounts get unlimited alerts.

Alerts are sent as part of the nightly data sync. Expect to receive alert emails within 24 hours of a permit being published to NYC Open Data.

Your alerts are preserved — they don't get deleted. Only your oldest alert stays active; the rest are paused. They reactivate automatically if you re-upgrade to Pro.

Permit data is public government record sourced from NYC Open Data. Owner names, contractor names, addresses, and permit details are published by the City of New York. Your PermitMap account data (email, saved alerts) is private to your account.

Yes. Email us at support@permitmap.io and we'll delete your account and all associated personal data. Public permit records remain part of the index.

Never. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. See our Privacy Policy for full details.