Construction Leads for HVAC contractors in the United States: Where the Projects Are and Who Awards Them
The best construction leads for HVAC contractors are permitted projects at the stage when HVAC work is still being awarded, with the name of the person who awards it. On October 1, 2026, Builtie's permit data held 37,558 projects in the HVAC award window across six US metros (New York, Austin, Miami-Dade, Nashville, Chicago and Seattle), 25,250 of them permitted in the last 90 days. Most of that work is awarded by builders and general contractors, not homeowners, and it is awarded once: ductwork and piping rough-in follows framing and runs alongside electrical and plumbing, so HVAC is usually awarded between about 20% and 55% of the way through the build, with equipment ordered as early as lead times demand. Reach the owner of a small builder, or the project manager or estimator at a commercial GC, before that point and you are pricing against two or three firms instead of the whole bid list.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
HVAC projects in the award window, by US metro
| Metro | Projects in the HVAC award window | Permitted in the last 90 days | Median project value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 22,078 | 15,334 | 510,000 |
| Austin | 7,093 | 4,759 | not published |
| Miami-Dade | 4,980 | 2,905 | 800,000 |
| Nashville | 1,545 | 1,129 | 396,000 |
| Chicago | 1,092 | 570 | 1,000,000 |
| Seattle | 770 | 553 | 423,000 |
| Six US metros | 37,558 | 25,250 | – |
Read October 1, 2026 from Builtie's permit data. A project counts when its permit was issued in the last four years, its stage sits inside the trade's award window, and the trade's share of the project clears the smallest contract the trade usually takes. Miami-Dade is the county feed (unincorporated Miami-Dade plus many of its cities). New York's feed starts in February 2026. Austin states a construction cost on 7% of permits, so its counts are the least filtered by job size and its median is not published.
City guides for this trade: HVAC leads in New York, HVAC leads in Austin, HVAC leads in Miami-Dade, HVAC leads in Nashville, HVAC leads in Chicago, HVAC leads in Seattle. Canada: Toronto.
Who awards HVAC work
| Customer | Who usually picks the HVAC contractor | What they weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Custom home builder | The owner, often on the design-build HVAC contractor's own layout | Load calculation, equipment choice, price |
| Production home builder | Purchasing, on a per-plan price | Unit price, equipment supply, warranty response |
| Commercial GC | Project manager or estimator at buyout, after the mechanical engineer's design | Complete number, equipment lead times, controls |
| Owner-led or design-build commercial | Owner's facilities lead or construction manager | Design assist, energy performance, service agreement after handover |
The decision maker changes with the size of the builder. At a small builder it is the owner; at a commercial GC it is whoever runs buyout on that project. A list of companies is not enough; you need the person, and their current employer checked against the record. See How contact data is verified.
When HVAC is awarded, in months after the permit
As a share of the build, HVAC is usually awarded between 20% and 55% of the way through. In months, that depends on the size of the project:
| Project size | Typical build | When HVAC is usually awarded |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 7 months | month 1 to 4 |
| $2 million | 13 months | month 3 to 7 |
| $10 million | 20 months | month 4 to 11 |
| $50 million | 30 months | month 6 to 17 |
Build lengths are Builtie's duration tiers by declared project value. Projects whose HVAC share is under 6,000 US dollars, the smallest contract the trade usually quotes, are left out of the counts above. For every trade side by side, see When to contact each trade.
Equipment lead times are your opening line. A GC who has not yet bought out mechanical on a job with long-lead rooftop units or chillers will take the call that tells them how long they have.
Who is pulling the permits
The busiest firms in a metro are both your competitors and, for some trades, your customers. Rankings built from the permit record: Most active mechanical contractors in Austin, Most active mechanical contractors in Miami-Dade. For home builders: Austin, Nashville and Miami-Dade.
Where HVAC contractors find construction leads, compared
| Source | What you get | When you hear about the job | Who else sees it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowner lead marketplaces | A homeowner's request | When they are ready to hire | Several contractors who paid for the same lead |
| Bid networks and GC invitations | Plans and a bid date from a GC | At bid time | Every sub on that GC's list |
| Public bid portals | Public projects with formal bids | At bid time | Anyone who registers |
| Building permits, raw | A permit number and an address | Early, before trades are bought out | Few, because few do the research |
| Builtie | Permitted projects in your trade's window, with the builder and a verified decision maker | Early, inside your award window | Few |
For the case against shared homeowner leads, see Project leads vs residential lead marketplaces; for why fewer, better-timed projects beat a big list, see Construction lead quality vs quantity.
Plans and coverage
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month (CAD) 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 CAD $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Builtie covers North America, with its deepest permit and contact data in the Greater Toronto Area, where it started. How much a city yields depends on what that municipality publishes, so ask for live sample projects in your own city before you buy.
See also: Best lead generation software for HVAC contractors, ServiceTitan vs Builtie for new construction, How to get on a general contractor's bid list.
Frequently asked questions
Where can HVAC contractors find construction leads in the US?
From building permits, bid invitations from general contractors, public bid portals and homeowner lead marketplaces. Permits are the earliest and least shared. On October 1, 2026 Builtie held 37,558 projects in the HVAC award window across New York, Austin, Miami-Dade, Nashville, Chicago and Seattle.
When is HVAC work awarded on a new construction project?
Usually between 20% and 55% of the way through the build: ductwork and piping rough-in follows framing and runs alongside electrical and plumbing, so HVAC is usually awarded between about 20% and 55% of the way through the build, with equipment ordered as early as lead times demand.
Who should HVAC contractors contact at a general contractor?
At a small builder, the owner. At a mid-size or large commercial GC, the project manager, preconstruction manager or chief estimator running buyout on that project.
How do HVAC contractors find new construction projects in the US?
New construction HVAC work is won from builders and general contractors, not homeowners. Track building permits for new buildings and major renovations, reach the person who buys out mechanical before rough-in, and follow up through the build. Builtie lists permitted projects in the HVAC award window with a verified decision maker.
Does Builtie cover my city?
Builtie covers North America, with permit-level depth in New York, Austin, Miami-Dade, Nashville, Chicago and Seattle in the US and deepest coverage in the Greater Toronto Area. Ask for live sample projects in your own city before you buy.
How much does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects.