Permit terms, plainly
The words Radar uses and what they mean on a job site.
Building permitThe City's written approval to build, alter or demolish. A permit is a job that is really going to happen.
Paperwork inThe application is filed and the permit isn't issued yet. Toronto publishes this stage; the other cities don't. Nobody is on site yet.
IssuedThe permit has been granted. Work can start; the trades get hired in sequence from here.
First-call windowThe first 48 hours after a permit is issued. The first credible call usually gets the job.
Builder on recordThe builder or contractor named on the permit, where the city publishes one. If none is listed, the owner may still need a general contractor.
Filed byOur estimate of who filed the permit — a builder, a homeowner, or a designer — from what the permit says.
Likely needsOur estimate of the trades a job will hire and roughly when, from typical build timelines for that kind of job.
Worth chasing (score)A 0–100 score of how worthwhile a lead is for a trade: value, freshness, stage, whether a builder is on it, whether a phone is on record, and how busy the area is.
Builder hiring (score)A 0–100 score of how likely the builder on a permit is to be hiring subs and buying materials now: their momentum, active sites and the size of the job.
Area / FSAThe first three characters of a postal code (for example L6Y), or in Kitchener the City's planning community (for example Doon South).
Closed / completedThe job passed its final inspection. Too late for the build; the right time for cleaning, landscaping and furnishing.