FirstDig vs Permitlify

A weekday email of AI-scored permit leads with homeowner phone and email, priced by number of states. How it compares with FirstDig for local service businesses, from both sites (checked Oct 31, 2026).

	FirstDig	Permitlify
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, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and general contractors (also insulation, solar, windows and doors).
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.	"881 cities in 47 states" on its home page; its pricing page says 248+ city and county permit portals.
How fresh	City feeds read about every hour; the matching permits arrive by email every morning (Pro), within the hour (Business) or weekly (Free).	Portals read every weeknight; leads delivered each weekday morning (its pages give 6, 7 or 8 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.	A daily email of AI-scored leads filtered by trade: 1, 10 or unlimited alerts a day depending on the plan.
Homeowner names	Never: owner and applicant names are removed before anything is saved. Alerts go to businesses.	Says a phone number, email and property address come with every permit.
Contractor details	The contractor's business name on each permit; the busiest builders in your area (Business).	Not described on its website.
Exports and API	No exports; connect ChatGPT or Claude to ask about your permits (Pro and Business).	CSV on Starter and Pro; a REST API on Agency.
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.	Starter $79 (1 state), Pro $149 (2 states), Agency $349 (5 states) a month; a 3-day trial with a card.

Choose Permitlify if

You want to call or email homeowners directly, with an AI score on each lead.
You cover whole states and want leads across all of them.

Choose FirstDig if

You want a free plan, or a paid plan from $49 a month.
You want your service area drawn on a map, with job-finished alerts, ready dates, busy streets and a route planner.
You prefer to approach the job through the permit and the contractor, without homeowners' personal data.

Questions

What is the difference between FirstDig and Permitlify?

FirstDig: Home-service businesses and contractors (pool, roofing, solar, HVAC, plumbing, remodel and more) who want the new jobs in their own service area. Permitlify: Roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and general contractors (also insulation, solar, windows and doors).

How much does Permitlify cost compared with FirstDig?

Permitlify: Starter $79 (1 state), Pro $149 (2 states), Agency $349 (5 states) a month; a 3-day trial with a card. 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 Permitlify or FirstDig include homeowner names?

Permitlify: Says a phone number, email and property address come with every permit. 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

Permitlify'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.