TradeBridge vs Shovels.ai: Contact Data vs Permit Data

The quick version

Shovels.ai provides building permit data via API. They index public permit records from jurisdictions across the US. This tells you which contractors pulled permits recently and what kind of work they're doing. It does not give you outreach-ready contact information.

TradeBridge provides verified contractor contacts: owner names, emails, phones, license data. Different products for different needs.

Permit data vs contact data

Shovels gives you permit activity: which contractors pulled permits, when, where, and for what type of work. This is valuable for understanding market activity and identifying active contractors. But it doesn't give you the contractor's email address or phone number.

TradeBridge gives you outreach-ready contacts: the owner's name, a verified email, a direct phone number, and confirmed license status. You can send an email or make a call today.

When to use each

Use Shovels if you need permit-level market intelligence: which contractors are pulling the most permits, what types of projects are active in a geography, or which contractors recently entered a market. Shovels' API is designed for analytics and data integration.

Use TradeBridge if you need to contact contractors for sales, marketing, or recruiting. You want names, emails, and phones. You want to know the license is active. You want data segmented by trade type that you can load into your CRM or outreach tool immediately.

They work together

Some customers use both. Shovels identifies which contractors are most active in their target market. TradeBridge provides verified contact information for those contractors. Permit data for targeting, contact data for outreach.

Cost and access model

Shovels charges $599/month for API access. You need engineering resources to integrate the API and build workflows around the data. It's a tool for data teams and developers.

TradeBridge delivers a CSV file to your inbox. No API integration, no engineering team required. Per-project pricing means you pay for what you need. Your sales team can start using the data the day it arrives.