Building Permit Data API · Canada

Permit history for any Canadian address, in one call.

Query Canadian building permits by address, municipality, date range, and permit type. The Neighbourly permits layer is keyed directly to the address layer — so any validated address unlocks its full permit history instantly.

REST · JSON Address-keyed Toronto · Vancouver · Calgary Date range filters Permit type taxonomy
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permit lookup · live response
# Fetch permits for a validated address
GET /v1/permits?address_id=8421

→ 200 OK
{
  "address_id": 8421,
  "permits": [
    {
      "permit_no":   "BLD-2022-04781",
      "type":        "Interior Renovation",
      "status":      "Closed",
      "value":       48500,
      "issued_date": "2022-06-14",
      "closed_date": "2023-01-09",
      "description":"Kitchen remodel, 2nd floor"
    }
  ],
  "total": 3
}
Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa Keyed to address_id Permit value included Date range filtering Multiple permit types
Coverage

Major Canadian municipalities, and growing.

Permit data is sourced from municipal open data portals and is refreshed on a rolling basis. Coverage depth varies by municipality — see the coverage page for the full status.

Toronto
High density
New construction, additions, interior renovations, demolitions, conditional permits
Vancouver
High density
Residential, commercial, industrial permits — Metro Vancouver and City of Vancouver
Calgary
High density
Development permits, building permits, trade permits — all property types
Ottawa
High density
Building code permits, zoning approvals, heritage designations
Edmonton
Growing
New construction, alteration, and demolition permits
Mississauga
Growing
Residential and commercial building permits
Montréal
Growing
Permis de construction, renovation, and demolition
More coming
Expanding
Hamilton, Brampton, Burnaby, Surrey, Laval, and more being added quarterly
What the API delivers

Permit data that's actually usable in a product.

Raw municipal permit exports are inconsistent, incomplete, and formatted for internal use — not APIs. The Neighbourly permits layer normalizes, geocodes, and keys every permit to a validated address.

🔑

Address-keyed lookups

Every permit is linked to a validated address_id. Validate any address with the address API, then retrieve its permits in a single follow-up call — no geocoding, no address matching required.

📋

Normalized permit taxonomy

Each permit is classified using a consistent type taxonomy — New Construction, Addition, Interior Renovation, Demolition, Trade, Conditional — regardless of how the source municipality categorized it.

📅

Date range and status filters

Filter permits by issue date range, closed date, and status (Open, Closed, Expired, Withdrawn). Build permit activity charts, identify active construction zones, or surface recently closed permits for any property.

Response schema

Every permit field, normalized.

Permit responses are structured consistently across all municipalities — no parsing per city, no custom logic per source format.

  • permit_noSource permit number from the municipality
  • typeNormalized permit type from our taxonomy
  • statusOpen, Closed, Expired, or Withdrawn
  • valueDeclared value in CAD (where available)
  • issued_dateISO 8601 date the permit was issued
  • closed_dateISO 8601 date the permit was closed
  • descriptionScope of work as filed with the municipality
  • municipalityIssuing city / municipality
  • address_idForeign key to the Neighbourly address record
GET /v1/permits?address_id=8421 200 OK
{
  "address_id":   8421,
  "municipality": "Toronto",
  "total":        3,
  "permits": [
    {
      "permit_no":   "BLD-2022-04781",
      "type":        "Interior Renovation",
      "status":      "Closed",
      "value":       48500,
      "issued_date": "2022-06-14",
      "closed_date": "2023-01-09",
      "description": "Kitchen remodel,
                     2nd floor"
    },
    { ... }
  ]
}
Who uses it

Permit data that makes every property listing richer.

Listing Platforms

Surface renovation history on listing pages

Show buyers what work has been done on a property — kitchen remodels, additions, roof replacements — directly on the listing. Increase engagement and reduce buyer uncertainty with permit-backed renovation history.

Brokerage Tools

Flag open permits before offers

Alert agents when a property has an open or expired permit. Unpermitted work and outstanding building orders are material facts. Surface them automatically during the listing process.

Analytics & Valuation

Permit activity as a renovation signal

Permit data is a leading indicator of neighbourhood investment and property improvement. Use recent permit activity — permit count, total declared value, permit type distribution — as features in valuation or investment models.

Insurance & Lending

Verify declared improvements

Cross-reference declared renovations against permit records at the point of underwriting or appraisal. Detect discrepancies between what was reported and what was permitted — without manual research.

Start querying Canadian permit data today.

Talk to us about API access, coverage for a specific city, or embedding permit history in your product. Most teams are up and running within a day.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this data and how to use it.

What does the Building Permit Data API return?

Property-level building permit history, queryable by Canadian address and linked to the Neighbourly address layer.

Which cities are covered?

Major centres including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa, with more added by demand. See the coverage page for detail.

How often is permit data updated?

Permit data typically refreshes weekly where municipal sources allow, and each record carries a last-refreshed timestamp.

Can I get permits for a specific address?

Yes. Query by address to retrieve that property’s permit history.

What is permit data used for?

Enriching listings, assessing renovation history, flagging unpermitted work, and analysing neighbourhood investment activity.