FirstDig vs Permit Leads

Exclusive ZIP-code permit emails, mainly residential roofing, in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis. How it compares with FirstDig for local service businesses, from both sites (checked Oct 31, 2026).

	FirstDig	Permit Leads
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.	Roofing contractors (HVAC, solar and remodeling are also listed).
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.	Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis; its FAQ describes residential roofing permits.
How fresh	City feeds read about every hour; the matching permits arrive by email every morning (Pro), within the hour (Business) or weekly (Free).	Checked about every six hours (Minneapolis nightly); one email a day at 7 AM local time.
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.	A daily email for the ZIP codes and trade you buy; one subscriber per ZIP and feed.
Homeowner names	Never: owner and applicant names are removed before anything is saved. Alerts go to businesses.	Not described; the email lists address, description, filing date, value and permit number.
Contractor details	The contractor's business name on each permit; the busiest builders in your area (Business).	The contractor of record or applicant, where the city publishes it.
Exports and API	No exports; connect ChatGPT or Claude to ask about your permits (Pro and Business).	A CSV with the first email; no API mentioned.
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.	$39 (1 ZIP), $99 (3), $149 (5) or $249 (10 ZIPs) a month, one trade per bundle.

Choose Permit Leads if

You roof in one of its four cities and want ZIP codes no competitor can buy.

Choose FirstDig if

You work in other cities or trades, or across many ZIP codes for one price.
You want a free plan, your service area on a map, and job-finished alerts, ready dates and a route planner.

Questions

What is the difference between FirstDig and Permit Leads?

FirstDig: Home-service businesses and contractors (pool, roofing, solar, HVAC, plumbing, remodel and more) who want the new jobs in their own service area. Permit Leads: Roofing contractors (HVAC, solar and remodeling are also listed).

How much does Permit Leads cost compared with FirstDig?

Permit Leads: $39 (1 ZIP), $99 (3), $149 (5) or $249 (10 ZIPs) a month, one trade per bundle. 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 Permit Leads or FirstDig include homeowner names?

Permit Leads: Not described; the email lists address, description, filing date, value and permit number. 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

Permit Leads'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.