Insights Lab
Property intelligence from the ground upSM
Original research from the Builty team: permit-based analysis for insurance, real estate, mortgage, and construction professionals.
Fundamentals
Why Is Building Permit Data So Hard to Understand? (And How We Make It Readable)
Building permit records are written in trade shorthand no standard decodes: T/O, E/C/O, SFD. What the codes mean, why records from 20,000 jurisdictions don’t line up, and what it takes to make them readable.
Claims
Was That Roof Ever Replaced? How Permit Records Decide Prior-Damage Disputes
Loss histories, aerial imagery, and weather data can't answer the one question that decides a prior-damage claim. A permit record can.
Fundamentals
How Many Building Permit Jurisdictions Are There in the US? (Way More Than You Think)
The US has roughly 20,000 building permit jurisdictions, each writing its own rules and keeping its own records. Here's who they are, where they are, and how to find the one that governs any address.
Fundamentals
What Is a Building Permit, and What Can It Reveal About Risk?
A building permit is more than paperwork: it's a structured record of what changed on a property, and when. Here's what's inside one and why it matters for risk.
Claims
Property Claims Blind Spot: Building Permits
Permit history is one of the most overlooked signals in property claims: for triage, reserving, settlement, and spotting fraud.
Insurance · Risk
Virginia's Data Center Boom: Hidden Signals for Insurers in Permit Data
Virginia's data center construction wave shows up in permit data before anywhere else. Here's what insurers can read from it.