How Long After a Building Permit Is Each Trade Hired? Award Windows in Months, by Project Size
Each trade is bought in its own window. Site work and concrete are bought around the permit; framing in the first third of the build; MEP trades between about 20% and 55%; drywall to 70%; flooring and cabinetry to 80%; landscaping last. On a $2 million project (about 13 months), electrical is usually awarded in months 3 to 7 after the permit; on a $50 million project (about 30 months), months 6 to 17. Reach the buyer inside the window or you are pricing the next job.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
Award windows in months after the permit
| Trade | Window (% of build) | $250K (7 mo) | $2M (13 mo) | $10M (20 mo) | $50M (30 mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site work / excavation | 0% to 10% | before the permit to month 1 | before the permit to month 1 | before the permit to month 2 | before the permit to month 3 |
| Concrete / foundation | 0% to 15% | before the permit to month 1 | before the permit to month 2 | before the permit to month 3 | before the permit to month 5 |
| Framing | 0% to 30% | permit to month 2 | permit to month 4 | permit to month 6 | permit to month 9 |
| Structural steel | 0% to 25% | permit to month 2 | permit to month 3 | permit to month 5 | permit to month 8 |
| Masonry | 10% to 40% | month 1 to 3 | month 1 to 5 | month 2 to 8 | month 3 to 12 |
| Roofing | 15% to 45% | month 1 to 3 | month 2 to 6 | month 3 to 9 | month 5 to 14 |
| Windows, doors, glazing | 15% to 45% | month 1 to 3 | month 2 to 6 | month 3 to 9 | month 5 to 14 |
| HVAC / mechanical | 20% to 55% | month 1 to 4 | month 3 to 7 | month 4 to 11 | month 6 to 17 |
| Plumbing | 20% to 55% | month 1 to 4 | month 3 to 7 | month 4 to 11 | month 6 to 17 |
| Electrical | 20% to 55% | month 1 to 4 | month 3 to 7 | month 4 to 11 | month 6 to 17 |
| Fire protection | 25% to 60% | month 2 to 4 | month 3 to 8 | month 5 to 12 | month 8 to 18 |
| Insulation | 30% to 60% | month 2 to 4 | month 4 to 8 | month 6 to 12 | month 9 to 18 |
| Drywall | 35% to 70% | month 2 to 5 | month 5 to 9 | month 7 to 14 | month 11 to 21 |
| Tile | 45% to 75% | month 3 to 5 | month 6 to 10 | month 9 to 15 | month 14 to 23 |
| Flooring | 50% to 80% | month 4 to 6 | month 7 to 10 | month 10 to 16 | month 15 to 24 |
| Cabinetry / millwork | 50% to 80% | month 4 to 6 | month 7 to 10 | month 10 to 16 | month 15 to 24 |
| Painting | 50% to 85% | month 4 to 6 | month 7 to 11 | month 10 to 17 | month 15 to 26 |
| Landscaping | 65% to 95% | month 5 to 7 | month 8 to 12 | month 13 to 19 | month 20 to 29 |
Windows from Builtie's trade timing model (share of the build when each trade is typically specified, priced and awarded); build lengths are Builtie's duration tiers by declared project value. Negative starts mean the trade is often bought before the permit issues.
Approximate; stage on site is the final check.
Per-trade guides with live US counts: Construction leads for electricians (US), Construction leads for plumbers (US), Construction leads for HVAC contractors (US), Construction leads for drywall contractors (US), Construction leads for flooring contractors (US). All trades: When to contact each trade.
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.
Frequently asked questions
How long after a permit does construction start?
Usually within weeks, but each trade is bought at a different point: site work around the permit, MEP around 20% to 55% of the build, finishes 50% to 80%.
When are electricians hired on a new building?
Usually 20% to 55% through the build: months 3 to 7 on a $2 million project, months 6 to 17 on a $50 million one.
How much does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects plus LinkedIn and email outreach; 7-day free trial with 10 projects. Billed monthly.