26 IBC segments — every permit tagged.
PermitCore classifies every silver permit into one of 26 segments derived from IBC occupancy types and project-scope signals. A deterministic-first classifier handles the unambiguous calls; the machine-learning stage handles the cases that need them. Segment assignment is the same axis across every metro — filter consistently across all 35.
Commercial — 9 segments
The 9 commercial segments span the commercial-construction vertical end-to-end — alteration · MEP · HVAC · new · shell-only · demolition · signage · pool. Every commercial permit lands in exactly one, queryable via the API consistently across all metros. See the commercial-construction vertical surface →
2.2M permits classified
Tenant improvements, additions, alterations, + commercial envelope work.
Commercial alteration permits cover the broad set of changes to existing commercial buildings — tenant improvements, additions, structural alterations, adaptive reuse, AND roofing/envelope work that doesn't trigger a separate sub-segment. The highest-volume commercial segment in most US metros because TI turnover + re-roofing cycles dominate filings against existing stock.
Browse in New York City →1.2M permits classified
Commercial mechanical, electrical, + plumbing systems.
Commercial MEP permits cover mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system work on commercial buildings — electrical service upgrades, plumbing reroutes, and non-HVAC equipment changeouts. HVAC installs and replacements split out into Commercial HVAC when that segment ships per metro; segments are overlap-free, so a permit reclassified into Commercial HVAC is decremented from Commercial MEP at the source metro on the same regen.
Browse in Austin →183K permits classified
RTU, VAV, VRF, chiller installs.
Commercial-grade HVAC work on commercial and multifamily buildings — RTU replacements, VAV / VRF system installs, central-plant chiller work, ductwork retrofits, and equipment changeouts. Building-character definition: HVAC permits on multifamily R-2 buildings classify here because the trade itself uses 'commercial HVAC' in the building-character sense (the contractor license class, manufacturer product catalog, and distributor territory plan all align this way). Split out of Commercial MEP + Multifamily Alteration on classifier reclassification.
Browse in New York City →219K permits classified
Sprinklers, standpipes, alarms + suppression on commercial buildings.
Commercial fire protection permits cover life-safety systems filed against commercial and industrial buildings — automatic sprinkler installs and alterations, standpipe and riser work, fire alarm and detection systems, kitchen hood suppression, and clean-agent suppression in data and equipment rooms. Split out of Commercial Alteration and Commercial MEP on classifier reclassification, so a permit classified here is not double-counted there. Fire protection is a distinct trade with its own contractor license class and distributor channel, which is why it is worth separating from the general MEP rollup. Published for 32 of the 36 jurisdictions where fire-protection filings are currently classified. At least 69 jurisdictions in the index publish fire-shaped permits, so a metro with no volume here almost always means we have not yet mapped its filing types — not that the work is not happening. Check the per-metro coverage before reading a low count as low activity.
Browse in New York City →190K permits classified
Ground-up commercial buildings — offices, retail, mixed-use.
Commercial new construction permits cover ground-up commercial buildings — office towers, retail centers, mixed-use developments, and standalone storefronts. These permits are filed when a project breaks ground and includes the structural foundation, framing, and shell work. Filtered for commercial occupancy types (B, M, A-2) under the International Building Code.
Browse in Los Angeles →1,129 permits classified
Building shells without tenant fit-out — speculative + warm-shell builds.
Commercial shell-only permits cover ground-up commercial structures filed with no interior fit-out — speculative builds where the developer ships the shell and tenants execute their own tenant-improvement permits later. A useful segment to track separately from Commercial New Construction because investment + use signals differ: shell-only suggests speculative or pre-leased commercial real estate activity.
Browse in Austin →102K permits classified
Commercial teardowns + structural demolition + abatement.
Commercial demolition permits cover full and partial teardowns of commercial structures — building removal, structural demolition for redevelopment, and asbestos abatement preceding demolition. Frequently a leading indicator of upcoming commercial new construction at the same parcel.
Browse in New York City →292K permits classified
Building signs — wall-mounted, monument, illuminated, pole signs.
Commercial signage permits cover building signs at commercial properties — wall-mounted signs, monument signs, illuminated signage, pole signs. Smaller permit values than most segments but high volume; often used as a leading indicator of tenant turnover since new sign filings typically follow a tenant change-over at a commercial property.
Browse in Chicago →24K permits classified
Commercial pools — hotels, gyms, condo amenities, apartments.
Commercial pool permits cover swimming pool construction at commercial-owned properties — hotels, gyms, condominium amenity decks, apartment complex pools, and standalone aquatic facilities. Distinct from residential pool work which is rolled into Residential Alteration today. Seasonal volume; segment is a useful proxy for hospitality + multifamily amenity investment.
Browse in Austin →
Multifamily — 4 segments
2.6M permits classified
Apartment + condo alterations, renovations, + envelope work.
Multifamily alteration permits cover changes to existing apartment and condo buildings — unit-level reconfigurations, common-area overhauls, structural retrofits, roof replacements, and substantial systems work. The highest-volume multifamily segment in most US metros because turnover + aging-stock maintenance dominate filings against existing buildings.
Browse in New York City →108K permits classified
Ground-up apartments + condos — 5+ units, R-2 occupancy.
Multifamily new construction permits cover ground-up apartment buildings, condominium developments, and other 5-unit-and-up residential structures. Filtered for R-2 occupancy under IBC. Excludes single-family and small-multifamily (under 5 units, typically tagged as residential alteration upstream). A leading indicator for housing supply, REIT pipeline, and apartment-construction-driven labor demand.
Browse in New York City →93K permits classified
Sprinklers, standpipes, alarms + suppression on apartment and condo buildings.
Multifamily fire protection permits cover life-safety systems filed against apartment and condominium stock — sprinkler retrofits into existing buildings, standpipe and riser replacement, building-wide fire alarm upgrades, and suppression work in common areas and mechanical rooms. Split out of Multifamily Alteration on classifier reclassification; segments are overlap-free. Sprinkler retrofit is often mandated by local ordinance on a deadline, so volume here tends to move in regulatory steps rather than with the construction cycle. Published for 9 jurisdictions — the narrowest coverage of the three fire segments, because separating multifamily fire work needs the source to publish both a fire filing type and enough building detail to tell apartments from houses. At least 69 jurisdictions in the index publish fire-shaped permits, so an empty metro here reflects what we have mapped, not an absence of sprinkler retrofits. Read this cohort as a floor, not a census.
Browse in New York City →49K permits classified
Apartment + condo mechanical, electrical, + plumbing systems.
Multifamily MEP permits cover mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system work on apartment and condo buildings — boiler and riser replacements, electrical service upgrades, and unit-level plumbing reroutes filed against multifamily stock rather than single-family or commercial. Distinct from Multifamily Alteration, which covers the building and envelope work these systems sit inside; segments are overlap-free, so a permit classified here is not double-counted there. Currently concentrated in the metros whose source feeds separate multifamily MEP filings from general alteration filings — check the per-metro coverage before reading a low count as low activity.
Browse in Austin →
Residential — 8 segments
3.6M permits classified
Single-family renovations, additions, kitchen/bath remodels.
Residential alteration permits cover changes to existing single-family homes — renovations, additions, kitchen and bath remodels, basement finishes, and similar work on detached residential structures. The highest-frequency residential segment by volume; tracks both DIY-permit activity and contractor-driven remodel cycles.
Browse in Los Angeles →2.9M permits classified
Residential mechanical, electrical, + plumbing.
Residential MEP permits cover mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system work on residential structures — HVAC replacements, electrical service upgrades, plumbing repairs and reroutes. Solar PV installs split out into Residential Solar when that segment ships per metro; segments are overlap-free, so a permit reclassified into Residential Solar is decremented from Residential MEP at the source metro on the same regen.
Browse in Austin →1.2M permits classified
Ground-up single-family homes — detached residential construction.
Residential new-construction (single-family) permits cover ground-up construction of detached single-family homes. Excludes multifamily (5+ units), townhouses with shared walls (often classified separately by jurisdiction), and ADUs. A direct measure of single-family housing-supply growth.
Browse in Fort Worth →179K permits classified
Single-family teardowns + accessory-structure demolition.
Residential demolition permits cover teardowns of single-family homes and accessory structures (garages, sheds, accessory buildings). Often a leading indicator of upcoming Residential New (Single-Family) filings at the same parcel — a classic teardown-rebuild signal.
Browse in Los Angeles →164K permits classified
In-ground + above-ground residential pools, spas, and hot tubs.
Residential pool permits cover in-ground and above-ground swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs at single-family and residential properties — the pool shell, decking, the required safety barrier or fencing, and the electrical and plumbing pulled under the pool permit. Distinct from commercial_pool (hotel, club, fitness, and municipal aquatic facilities), which follows different code-review and inspection tracks. A leading signal for pool builders and contractors, and for equipment and finish suppliers — pumps, heaters, filters, liners, and automation — tracking new-pool starts and spa installs market by market.
Browse in Phoenix →31K permits classified
Accessory dwelling units — backyard cottages + garage conversions.
ADU-qualifying permits cover accessory dwelling units — backyard cottages, garage conversions, attached and detached ADUs that meet local zoning thresholds. A high-growth segment in West Coast metros where state-level legislation (e.g. California SB 9 / SB 10) has streamlined approval. Used by realtors, ADU specialists, and policy researchers to track urban-infill density trends.
Browse in Los Angeles →27K permits classified
Foundation-only filings — early-phase residential construction.
Residential foundation-only permits cover the very earliest phase of residential construction — foundation excavation, footings, and slab work filed separately from the superstructure. Often a precursor to a follow-up Residential New (Single-Family) permit on the same parcel. Useful for tracking groundbreaking activity 4-8 weeks ahead of the full construction permit.
Browse in New York City →24K permits classified
Sprinklers, alarms + suppression on single-family and small residential.
Residential fire protection permits cover life-safety systems filed against single-family and small residential stock — 13D residential sprinkler systems, hardwired alarm and detection work, and suppression on attached garages and accessory structures. Split out of Residential MEP and Residential Alteration on classifier reclassification. The smallest of the three fire segments by volume, because most jurisdictions do not require a separate permit for residential sprinkler work outside new construction. Published for 26 of the 36 jurisdictions where fire-protection filings are currently classified. At least 69 jurisdictions in the index publish fire-shaped permits, so a metro with no volume here almost always means we have not yet mapped its filing types — not that the work is not happening. Check the per-metro coverage before reading a low count as low activity.
Browse in Boston →
Civic + Industrial — 2 segments
4,681 permits classified
Warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing, data centers.
Industrial new construction permits cover ground-up warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, and dedicated data center construction. Filtered for IBC S-1, S-2, and F occupancy types. The highest-permit-value segment by average ticket in metros with hyperscale or distribution-hub concentration (Northern Virginia, Dallas, Columbus, Phoenix).
Browse in Austin →1,323 permits classified
Public buildings — schools, libraries, transit, government.
Civic construction permits cover public-purpose buildings — schools, libraries, fire stations, transit infrastructure, municipal facilities, and other government-funded structures. Distinct from commercial filings even when occupancy types overlap (Assembly A-3, Educational E) because procurement and code-review tracks differ. A leading indicator for municipal capital-budget activity.
No new classifications in the last 30 days.
Construction support — 1 segment
750K permits classified
Temporary structures supporting active construction projects.
Temporary construction support permits cover scaffolding, hoists, sidewalk sheds, temporary fencing, construction trailers, and other interim structures filed to support an active construction project. In dense urban environments (NYC especially) this segment can be the second-largest by volume because every major project files multiple temp-support permits as the work progresses.
Browse in New York City →
Solar — 1 segment
93K permits classified
PV installs on single-family + multifamily buildings.
Solar PV-system installs on residential-occupancy buildings — single-family rooftop PV, residential battery-storage pairings, and multifamily R-2 PV installs (the installer-class definitional axis: residential-PV-licensed crews work both single-family and small-multifamily). Split out of Residential MEP + Residential Alteration on classifier reclassification; segments are overlap-free, so a permit reclassified here is decremented from its prior segment at the source metro on the same regen.
Browse in New York City →
Storage — 1 segment
2,214 permits classified
Home battery energy storage — Powerwall, Enphase, FranklinWH.
Residential battery-storage permits cover behind-the-meter BESS (battery energy storage system) installs on residential-occupancy buildings — Tesla Powerwall, Enphase IQ Battery, FranklinWH, and similar home battery systems, whether paired with rooftop solar or installed standalone for backup and time-of-use arbitrage. The fastest-growing residential-electrical wedge in solar-mature Western metros (Mesa, San Jose, Tucson, Tempe lead early coverage) as storage attach-rates climb on resilience + utility-rate economics. Split out of Residential MEP + Residential Solar on classifier reclassification; segments are overlap-free, so a permit reclassified here is decremented from its prior segment at the source metro on the same regen.
Browse in Phoenix →
How a permit gets its segment.
Every silver permit flows through a two-stage classifier. The deterministic stage maps IBC occupancy codes + permit-type strings into the segment vocabulary where the signal is unambiguous — residential_new_sf from R-3 + "new construction", commercial_signage from a literal "sign" permit type. The machine-learning stage handles the cases that aren't direct lookups — multi-vocab permit-type strings, ambiguous occupancy spans, jurisdictions that bundle permit categories. The segment column on every silver row is the classifier's output; field-level data-quality flags surface when the classifier had low confidence.
For New York City commercial permits, occupancy is grounded in PLUTO — the city's tax-lot land-use dataset — so commercial-versus-residential classification reflects the building's recorded occupancy rather than the permit-type string alone. That occupancy grounding is what lets a generic tenant-alteration filing on a Group-B office land in the commercial segments where the permit-type string would otherwise be ambiguous.
Segment assignment is the same axis across all 35 metros — filter commercial_alteration in NYC and commercial_alteration in LA with the same predicate, even though the upstream jurisdictions emit wildly different permit-type strings. That cross-metro consistency is what makes segment-anchored queries work for segment-buyer use cases (signage networks, commercial roofing, MEP contractors) without jurisdiction-specific glue per integration.
Segments not yet split out.
The current taxonomy is intentionally 26. Finer splits are on our roadmap and roll up into the existing segments today: commercial_roofing (today inside commercial_alteration), commercial_tenant_improvement (inside commercial_alteration), multifamily_roofing + multifamily_hvac (inside multifamily_alteration), solar_commercial (inside the MEP segments), and data_center (inside industrial_new). When the classifier ships finer splits, the segment column adds new values — existing queries don't need to change.