Most subcontractors I talk to think of a building permit as paperwork: something the builder pulls so the inspector shows up. That's true, but if you're the one selling drywall, HVAC, garage doors, countertops or landscaping, a permit is something else too. It's an early, public notice that a specific job is about to need your trade.
Here's what each part of a permit tells you, using real numbers from the September 2026 permits we compiled for the Indianapolis metro.
The permit date: when the clock starts
The filing date tells you when the job became real. On a new home, everything after it happens in roughly the same order: site work and foundation, framing, mechanical rough-ins, insulation and drywall, finishes, then exterior and landscaping. The later your trade comes in, the more lead time a permit gives you. A landscaper looking at a fresh new-home permit has months. A foundation sub has days.
The builder: who you actually call
On new construction, the homeowner doesn't hire the trades. The builder does. So the builder field is the most valuable one on the permit.
It also tells you what kind of builder you're dealing with. In September, six production builders (Pulte, Lennar, D.R. Horton, Arbor Homes, M/I Homes and Olthof Homes) pulled 229 of the metro's 543 new-home permits. Meanwhile, about two in three of all the builders named pulled exactly one permit. Those are two different sales motions: a vendor process at a regional division for the big six, and a phone call to the owner for the small ones.
The address, town and subdivision: where, and whether more are coming
The address tells you where the truck has to go, which matters if you price by drive time. The town tells you which inspector and which code amendments you'll be working under.
The subdivision is the sneaky-useful one. A single permit is a job. Fifteen permits from the same builder in the same subdivision (D.R. Horton had that many in Trailside in Whitestown in September) is a community that will keep needing your trade for months. Our September New Homes file named more than 100 different subdivisions.
Square footage and units: how big the job is
Where the town publishes it, square footage tells you how much drywall, flooring, insulation or roofing a house needs before you ever see a plan. Among September's new-home permits that listed it, the median house was 3,468 square feet. Units tells you whether it's a single home or a building with several, which changes everything about how a mechanical or electrical sub bids it.
The declared value: whether it's worth the drive
Declared value is what the applicant put on the permit application, usually the construction cost and not the sale price. It's not exact, but it's a very good sorting tool. Here's how September's new-home permits broke down, across the 519 that listed a value:
| Declared value | New-home permits |
|---|---|
| Under $250,000 | 155 |
| $250,000 to $399,999 | 119 |
| $400,000 to $599,999 | 149 |
| $600,000 to $999,999 | 48 |
| $1,000,000 and up | 48 |
Source: County Permit Reports New Homes file, September 2026, as delivered.
If you install custom closets or high-end appliances, the 96 permits at $600,000 and up are your list, not all 543. Sorting by value is how a big list turns into a short one you can actually call.
The permit type: what kind of work it is
New home, remodel, addition, accessory structure, commercial build-out, pool. Each one pulls in a different set of trades, so the type tells you whether a permit is for you at all.
- Remodels and additions. September had 587 in the metro, with a median declared value of $50,000, and 131 of the 450 that listed a value were $100,000 or more. Those bigger remodels need the same trades a small new home does.
- Commercial. 241 permits in September, and 64 of them declared $1 million or more. That's months of work for electrical, mechanical, glazing and finish trades.
- Pools. 84 in September, median declared value $100,000. A pool permit is the first domino for fencing, decking and patios, landscaping, electrical and the pool service company.
What a permit won't tell you
A permit won't tell you which trades the builder has already hired, and it usually won't give you a phone number. It also won't tell you the exact day your trade is needed. That's what the call is for. The permit gets you a specific, informed reason to make it: this builder, this address, this subdivision, this month.
Where to find them
Every town publishes its own permits, and you can look up any single permit for free. In Indianapolis, start with the Marion County permit guide. If you want to see which builders are active in a specific town, the permit pages by city list them, and the guide on building permit data for the Indianapolis metro explains every field in more detail.