Building Permit Stages Explained: Where a Project Is and Which Trades It Is Buying
Start free trial 7 days, 10 projects: permitted projects in your trade's award window, with the decision maker named.
Build stages describe how far a permitted project has got: excavation, foundation, framing, rough-in and interior trades, finishing. No public permit records the stage directly. Builtie estimates each project's stage from the permit's date, type and stated value, and in Los Angeles reads it from the City's inspection records, so a trade can see which projects are buying its scope now.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
The stages and what each one buys
| Stage | Share of the build | Trades being bought around then |
|---|---|---|
| Excavation and site work | About 5% to 10% | Site work, shoring, concrete and foundation trades |
| Foundation | About 15% to 20% | Framing, structural steel, masonry, waterproofing |
| Framing | About 30% to 40% | Windows, roofing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC |
| Rough-in and interior trades | About 55% to 70% | Drywall, insulation, cabinetry, flooring, tile |
| Finishing | About 80% to 90% | Landscaping, signage, building maintenance |
The shares are typical, not a schedule: a 69-storey tower and a house move at very different speeds. Builtie scales the clock by project size.
Estimated stage vs observed stage
A permit records when it was applied for and issued, not what is on site today. Builtie's estimate uses the issue date and the typical build length for the project's size and type, and labels it as an estimate. In Los Angeles the City publishes inspections, so Builtie takes the furthest approved inspection on a live permit as the observed stage. A finaled permit or a certificate of occupancy means the build is done.
A real example from Builtie's data
| Status on October 20, 2026 | Pacific Palisades rebuild properties |
|---|---|
| Permitted | 104 |
| Excavation (estimate) | 47 |
| Foundation (estimate) | 359 |
| Framing (estimate) | 461 |
| Interior trades (estimate) | 287 |
| Finishing (estimate) | 109 |
| Likely complete (estimate) | 147 |
| Finaled | 104 |
| Complete | 62 |
More in what the LA fire rebuild permit record shows.
Why it matters for a trade
A project in your stage is a project being bought now. Too early and the buyer has not thought about your scope; too late and it is awarded. The award window turns the stage into a yes or no for each trade.
Source. Builtie's trade windows (trade_approach_windows), read October 24, 2026, and City of Los Angeles building permits for Pacific Palisades (Los Angeles Open Data), read October 20, 2026.
The definition says what the term is first and why it matters to a trade second; counts are dated and come from Builtie's own records, never from an estimate of the whole market.
More terms: the construction glossary.
Plans and coverage
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Builtie's deepest coverage is in the Greater Toronto Area, where it started; depth in any city depends on what that municipality publishes. Ask for live sample projects in your own service area before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
What are the stages of a building permit?
The permit itself goes from applied for, to issued, to inspections, to finaled. The build behind it moves through excavation, foundation, framing, rough-in and interior trades, and finishing. Builtie estimates the build stage from the permit and, in Los Angeles, reads it from inspections.
Does a permit tell you the construction stage?
Not directly. It records dates and status. Inspections, where a city publishes them, show what has been built.
What does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. There is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects.