Painting Construction Leads by City (2026): 51,955 Projects in 25 Markets
On October 9, 2026, Builtie counted 51,955 painting projects still inside the painting award window across 25 markets in the United States and Canada. New York City leads with 24,335. The builder or general contractor usually chooses the painter well before the finishing stage, often near the start of the build, from painters it has used before.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
Open painting projects in every market Builtie covers
| Market | State or province | Projects in the award window | Permitted in the last 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | New York | 24,335 | 17,659 |
| Austin | Texas | 8,661 | 6,405 |
| Miami-Dade | Florida | 4,817 | 2,775 |
| Los Angeles | California | 2,862 | 2,054 |
| Calgary | Alberta | 2,555 | 1,813 |
| Nashville | Tennessee | 1,671 | 1,234 |
| Toronto | Ontario | 1,436 | 576 |
| Chicago | Illinois | 1,364 | 855 |
| Seattle | Washington | 754 | 555 |
| Vancouver | British Columbia | 748 | 428 |
| San Antonio | Texas | 591 | 211 |
| Fort Worth | Texas | 440 | 179 |
| Kitchener | Ontario | 241 | 173 |
| Fayetteville, Arkansas | Arkansas | 223 | 120 |
| Tulsa | Oklahoma | 214 | 116 |
| Airdrie | Alberta | 177 | 122 |
| Overland Park | Kansas | 172 | 111 |
| Little Rock | Arkansas | 158 | 73 |
| Grande Prairie | Alberta | 115 | 80 |
| Windsor, Ontario | Ontario | 93 | 48 |
| Thunder Bay | Ontario | 93 | 56 |
| North Little Rock | Arkansas | 79 | 58 |
| St. Louis | Missouri | 76 | |
| Broken Arrow | Oklahoma | 40 | 13 |
| Red Deer | Alberta | 40 | 33 |
Across the 25 markets, 51,955 painting projects were inside the award window on October 9, 2026: 46,457 in the United States and 5,498 in Canada, 35,823 of them permitted in the last 90 days. Each market counts its own city's permits only, so a large count says as much about how much a city publishes as about how much it builds.
The twelve largest of 25 markets, read October 9, 2026.
When painting is awarded, and who decides
Builtie times painting from about 5% of the way through the build to about 35%, with the last realistic approach at about 55%. The builder or general contractor usually chooses the painter well before the finishing stage, often near the start of the build, from painters it has used before.
Tap a stage. The highlighted stage is where painting is typically awarded.
What to lead with: unit pricing across a project, crew size for the finishing weeks and references on similar work.
Running the pipeline
Painting work comes in waves that follow the permit record, so the pipeline that wins it starts from projects, not from a contact list. Track each project's stage, call the builder when it enters the window, and keep the date the builder picks its finishing trades, your unit price and the paint schedule in the record. CRM for painting contractors covers what to look for in a CRM built around that.
More: construction leads for painting contractors, and every market and trade.
Plans
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'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
Where are the most painting construction leads in North America?
Among the markets Builtie covers, on October 9, 2026: New York City, 24,335 projects; Austin, 8,661 projects; Miami-Dade, 4,817 projects; Los Angeles, 2,862 projects; Calgary, 2,555 projects.
When should painting contractors contact builders?
Builtie times painting from about 5% of the way through the build to about 35%, with the last realistic approach at about 55%.
Who decides on painting for a new building?
The builder or general contractor usually chooses the painter well before the finishing stage, often near the start of the build, from painters it has used before.
How are these painting projects counted?
A project counts when its permit was issued in the last four years, the build is still inside the painting award window and the job is at least $3k of painting work. Trade sub-permits are grouped into their parent project.
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.