Census Building Permits API

What you can build

Annual and latest current-year housing units authorized; final/preliminary and reported/estimated distinctions. Use this dataset as a sourced input to an application, analytical model or retrieval tool. Retain its native dimensions when joining it with your own records.

Query Census Building Permits

The example below is a real bounded request against the available release. Replace the environment variable with your server-side API credential. Review endpoint parameters and response schemas before changing selectors.

curl --fail --get "https://api.geoamcan.com/v1/economy?limit=1&dataset=permits&geo_type=county&geoid=01001&metrics=two_units_units%2Csingle_family_units%2Ctwo_units_buildings%2Cfive_plus_units_units%2Cthree_four_units_units%2Csingle_family_buildings" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GEOAMCAN_API_KEY"

Saved response excerpt

{
  "source_attribution": {},
  "requested_area": {
    "geographic_resolution": "county",
    "geoid": "01001"
  },
  "data": [
    {
      "dataset": "permits",
      "source": "Census Bureau",
      "release": "2025 final + co2608c",
      "geographic_resolution": "county",
      "geoid": "01001",
      "geography_vintage": "2026",
      "period": "2026-08",
      "naics": "",
      "component": "202608",
      "metrics": {
        "two_units_units": 0,
        "single_family_units": 22,
        "two_units_buildings": 0,
        "five_plus_units_units": 0,
        "three_four_units_units": 0,
        "single_family_buildings": 22
      },
      "margins_of_error": {},
      "flags": {
        "release_status": "preliminary"
      }
    }
  ],
  "availability": {
    "permits": "available"
  },
  "next_offset": 1,
  "returned_count": 1,
  "complete": false,
  "snapshot": {
    "permits": {
      "release_id": 12,
      "release": "2025 final + co2608c",
      "fingerprint": "b5804b9652518ec4cc07c5c3f6aad743"
    }
  },
  "metric_definitions": {},
  "coverage_limitations": {
    "permits": []
  },
  "native_area_contexts": {},
  "commuting_flows": []
}

Captured 2026-10-26. Excerpt omits pagination credentials and may shorten nested records. Download verified source responses.

Coverage and interpretation

Coverage is limited to published source geographies and releases. Missing, suppressed and unavailable observations must not be treated as zero.

The active release shown here is a catalog snapshot. Check the live catalog and response provenance for current readiness. The underlying public source and Geoamcan access terms are separate; consult the source’s licensing and attribution requirements.

Source and methodology

Source: Census Bureau. Geoamcan is an independent API provider, with no agency affiliation or endorsement. Read our data methodology for source handling, geographic joins and update practices.

Related data

• Bureau of Economic Analysis
• City and Town Building Permits
• Consumer Expenditure Survey