FirstDig vs JustPermitted

A morning digest of commercial building permits by trade in 14 US metros. How it compares with FirstDig for local service businesses, from both sites (checked Oct 31, 2026).

	FirstDig	JustPermitted
Built for	Home-service businesses and contractors (pool, roofing, solar, HVAC, plumbing, remodel and more) who want the new jobs in their own service area.	Contractors, equipment rental, suppliers and service providers working on commercial jobs.
Coverage	100 city and county permit feeds in 29 states and DC; 113,450 permits in the last 30 days. Any other city can be requested.	Commercial permits in 14 metros: Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Tucson, Austin, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Nashville, New Orleans, Miami-Dade, New York and Philadelphia.
How fresh	City feeds read about every hour; the matching permits arrive by email every morning (Pro), within the hour (Business) or weekly (Free).	Usually permits issued one to two days before; a few cities publish weekly; one email around 7 AM.
Alerts	Draw your service area on a map and pick your trades; plus job-finished alerts, ready dates, busy streets and a route planner. Works inside ChatGPT and Claude too.	One morning digest for your metro and trade (or all trades).
Homeowner names	Never: owner and applicant names are removed before anything is saved. Alerts go to businesses.	Commercial permits only; owner names are not mentioned.
Contractor details	The contractor's business name on each permit; the busiest builders in your area (Business).	The contractor of record, with the phone number where the city publishes it.
Exports and API	No exports; connect ChatGPT or Claude to ask about your permits (Pro and Business).	Not described on its website.
Price	Free (weekly, one area, one trade); Pro $49 a month, Business $99 a month. Every account starts with 14 days of Pro, no card.	$49 a month for one trade, $99 for all trades; a free sample digest on request.

Choose JustPermitted if

You only want commercial permits, by metro.

Choose FirstDig if

You work on homes as well as commercial jobs.
You want your service area drawn on a map rather than a whole metro, and a free plan to start.

Questions

What is the difference between FirstDig and JustPermitted?

FirstDig: Home-service businesses and contractors (pool, roofing, solar, HVAC, plumbing, remodel and more) who want the new jobs in their own service area. JustPermitted: Contractors, equipment rental, suppliers and service providers working on commercial jobs.

How much does JustPermitted cost compared with FirstDig?

JustPermitted: $49 a month for one trade, $99 for all trades; a free sample digest on request. FirstDig: Free (weekly, one area, one trade); Pro $49 a month, Business $99 a month. Every account starts with 14 days of Pro, no card.

Does JustPermitted or FirstDig include homeowner names?

JustPermitted: Commercial permits only; owner names are not mentioned. FirstDig: Never: owner and applicant names are removed before anything is saved. Alerts go to businesses.

Start free with FirstDig (14 days of Pro, no card needed).

Sources

JustPermitted's side comes from its own website, read on Oct 31, 2026; prices and features may have changed since. FirstDig's side is live. Spotted a mistake? Write to support@firstdig.net.