Shovels is a data platform founded by Ryan Buckley with the mission of turning messy and fragmented building permit data into actionable insights for businesses. While many companies struggle to make sense of complex permit records across thousands of U.S. jurisdictions, Shovels uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to standardize and categorize this data at scale.
What Shovels Does
Rather than operating as a job board or hiring platform, Shovels helps businesses identify and connect with qualified contractors by leveraging a massive database of over 170 million building permits and more than 3 million contractors. The company’s platform enables users to understand contractor work history, decision-makers, and access structured permit data for sales, marketing, and research.
Users can interact with Shovels data in several ways. Shovels Online provides a straightforward interface for browsing and downloading building permit and contractor information. For businesses looking to automate their processes, the Shovels API allows seamless integration with CRM systems, custom applications, and other tools. Additionally, companies with advanced data needs can access permit data through direct database connections, including formats compatible with Snowflake, Databricks, or Google BigQuery.
AI at the Core
A defining feature of Shovels is its use of large language models (LLMs) to clean and categorize unstructured permit data. Each permit is tagged with one or more of over 20 categories such as solar, plumbing, or demolition, making it easier for users to filter and extract relevant information. This AI-powered tagging system allows businesses to analyze trends, automate workflows, and precisely target potential leads.
For example, companies in climate tech can track permits related to EV chargers or solar panel installations, while real estate developers can analyze construction activity by geography.
Differentiators
Shovels stand out from traditional data providers through several key differentiators. First, it delivers clean and structured permit data that’s easy to use for research and business development, no data engineering expertise is required. This streamlined access helps companies move quickly from data to insight.
Second, the company emphasizes customer support. As a small team, Shovels provides highly responsive service and works closely with clients to ensure their success.
Another point of distinction is Shovels’ commitment to transparency. Unlike many data vendors, Shovels clearly shows where its data is strong and where coverage gaps exist, helping users make informed decisions.
The company also includes residents and employees in its database alongside property and contractor information, allowing for a more holistic view of the construction landscape. Technical users benefit from robust and well-maintained documentation, ensuring that integration and analysis workflows are well-supported.
Company Background and Growth
Founded in 2018 by Ryan Buckley, Shovels has grown steadily by serving a range of industries including construction tech, energy, real estate, and building material suppliers. The platform has been recognized for its innovation in transforming permit data into a strategic asset.
The Future of Shovels
Shovels is continuously expanding its AI capabilities and permit classifications. New tags are in development, and the platform’s roadmap includes improvements to contractor license data and job value modeling.
Looking ahead, the company aims to further enhance its tools for users in climate, energy, and home services sectors, helping them tap into rich datasets to drive outreach, planning, and impact.
