Find New Construction Projects That Need Builder's Risk

Overview

Every construction project needs coverage before the first shovel goes in the ground — builder's risk on the structure, general liability for the site, often a wrap-up policy for larger jobs. A building permit is the signal that this need just became real and time-bound. The broker who reaches the GC or developer as the permit posts, before coverage is placed, catches the account at the exact right moment.

This Hound watches permit filings across the regions you serve, filters for the projects that mean coverage you can write, finds the GC or developer, and opens the conversation while the project is getting underway.

How to set it up

Four things to brief your Hound. This is the exact configuration behind this play.

A · Describe the opportunity

This is the brief every source is filtered against. You describe what you're looking for in plain language, add keywords to sharpen it, then set the structured criteria.

Tell Forest what you're looking for:

"I'm looking for new construction projects in my area that will need builder's risk and liability coverage — commercial and larger residential permits where a project is about to start. I want them as the permit posts, before coverage is placed. Prioritize project types and values I can write. Skip small repairs and cosmetic permits that don't warrant a policy."

Keywords to watch for: building permit · new construction · ground-up · commercial permit · general contractor · project value · builder's risk · [your project types] · [your region]

Fields to extract: project_value · permit_type · general_contractor · owner · jurisdiction · filed_date · square_footage · project_scope

Match criteria:

• ✓ Project value above your minimum (enough to warrant a policy)

• ✓ Project type you can write (commercial, multifamily, large residential)

• ✓ Jurisdiction in your licensed states

• ✗ Exclude minor repairs and cosmetic permits

B · Choose the sources to monitor

Permits are local and public — you point Forest at your region's permit portal, same as a construction Hound.

Public permit portals (bring your own link) 🔵 free — public government pages

How to find yours: Search "[your city or county] building permit search" and paste the official .gov page that lists recently issued permits (see the New Building Permits use case for the full walkthrough). If your county has an open-data portal (data.[city].gov, often Socrata), that's the cleanest source.

Examples:

• Los Angeles, CA — pcts.lacity.gov

• Austin, TX — abc.austintexas.gov

• Chicago, IL — data.cityofchicago.org

Tip: Many jurisdictions run on Accela (*.accela.com), Tyler EnerGov, or OpenGov — one added portal often unlocks neighbors.

News & Press 🟡 default source, always on — reads the open web against your brief for groundbreakings and project announcements that precede the permit, giving you an even earlier signal.

C · Define the ICP to reach

Who to reach for each project, in priority order, with fallbacks.

1. General Contractor (risk manager / owner) — Primary — usually places builder's risk — PRIMARY

2. Developer / Project Owner — Owns coverage on owner-controlled programs

3. Project Manager — Fallback contact on the project team — FALLBACK

D · Email & LinkedIn sequence

The play the Hound runs for each match. Fields from the permit drop in as variables.

Email · Day 0 Saw the permit for {{project_scope}} in {{jurisdiction}} — congrats on the new project. Before you break ground, builder's risk and site liability need to be in place. We specialize in coverage for projects around {{project_value}} and can turn a quote fast. Worth a quick call?

↓ Wait 2 days · no reply

LinkedIn · connection request · Day 2 Hi {{first_name}} — reaching out about coverage for your {{jurisdiction}} project. Would love to connect.

↓ Wait 3 days · no reply

Email · Day 5 · follow-up Following up on the {{jurisdiction}} project — happy to send a sample builder's risk quote for a comparable job so you can compare. Even if it's placed, glad to be a second option at renewal or on the next one.

⏸ Any reply on either channel pauses the whole sequence — the conversation is yours.