---
pretty_name: "Electrical Permit Dataset - Multi-City Building Systems Records - EmbedEarth"
license: other
size_categories: ["100K<n<1M"]
tags: ["geospatial", "tabular", "open-data", "urban-planning", "public-records", "semantic-search", "spatial-analysis", "parquet", "geojson", "csv", "datasets", "electrical", "building-systems", "electrification", "maintenance", "utilities", "urban", "mapping", "year-2018", "year-2019", "year-2020", "year-2021", "year-2022", "year-2023"]
---

# Electrical Permit Dataset - Multi-City Building Systems Records - EmbedEarth

A geospatial open-data release of **159,257 electrical permit records** from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.

This dataset was created and distributed by **[EmbedEarth](https://embed.earth)**, programmable geographic infrastructure for searching, retrieving, and computing across the physical world.

The release contains records of permitted electrical work and related building improvements. Electrical permits provide a location-aware view of renovation, building-system upgrades, electrification activity, and reported electrical projects. Records were normalized for consistent geospatial analysis while source-specific attributes remain available for inspection.

## Search millions more geographic features

This Hugging Face release is a downloadable dataset from the broader **[EmbedEarth](https://embed.earth)** geographic index.

EmbedEarth provides developers and AI systems access to **millions of geographic features and large collections of geolocated images and videos** spanning infrastructure, places, roads, buildings, nature, community issues, and other physical-world observations.

Developers can search and work with geographic data programmatically through the EmbedEarth API, SDK, CLI, and MCP.

### Build with EmbedEarth

* **[Geographic Feature List](https://www.embed.earth/catalog/features)** — browse geographic features available through EmbedEarth
* **[EmbedEarth](https://embed.earth)** — programmable infrastructure for Earth
* **[Developer Documentation](https://www.embed.earth/docs)** — APIs, tools, guides, and examples
* **[Geographic Search SDK](https://www.embed.earth/docs/sdk/search)** — search geographic features and regions programmatically
* **API** — integrate geographic search and spatial data into applications
* **SDK** — build geographic capabilities directly into applications
* **CLI** — work with geographic search and spatial data from the terminal
* **MCP** — connect geographic search and spatial tools to AI agents

## Dataset contents

This release contains **159,257 geolocated permit records** from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. Each record represents a permit-related record reported by one of the contributing public sources. Where available, records include coordinates, geometry, permit dates, lifecycle status, project or work descriptions, source attribution, and source-specific properties.

This is a **compiled public-records dataset**, not a complete administrative inventory for every city or jurisdiction. Coverage reflects the contributing sources and their reporting practices.

## Use cases

* building-system and renovation research
* electrification and infrastructure planning
* permit pipeline analysis
* neighborhood change studies
* geospatial machine learning
* urban data applications

## Schema

The downloadable Parquet and CSV files use a normalized schema. Source-specific permit attributes are stored as JSON inside `properties` rather than expanded into separate top-level columns. GeoJSON exposes the same record attributes alongside each record's geometry.

| Column | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string | Stable identifier for the exported record. |
| `sample` | boolean | Whether this record was selected for an optional image sample. |
| `latitude` | float64 | Latitude in decimal degrees using WGS 84 when available. |
| `longitude` | float64 | Longitude in decimal degrees using WGS 84 when available. |
| `geometry_wkb` | binary | Geometry encoded as Well-Known Binary for spatial workflows. |
| `media_url` | string | URL for associated image or visual media when available. |
| `attribution` | string | Attribution information preserved from the contributing source. |
| `source` | string | Source or provider associated with the permit record. |
| `properties` | string | JSON-encoded object containing source-specific permit fields and metadata. |

## Source-specific properties

The `properties` field preserves additional information associated with each permit record. Exact keys vary by source and record.

| Property group | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `permit_number / application_number` | Permit or application identifiers when supplied. |
| `permit_type / permit_class / work_type` | Local classifications and reported type of work. |
| `project_name / description / property_use` | Description of the project, work, or associated property. |
| `status / applied_at / issued_at / completed_at` | Lifecycle status and source milestone dates when supplied. |
| `address / city / state / postal_code` | Location text and administrative geography when supplied. |
| `applicant / contractor / owner_name` | Parties named by the source when supplied. |
| `valuation / units / floor_area` | Reported project measures when supplied. |

Not every property is populated for every record, and field names can differ between jurisdictions.

## Download

The dataset is available in several formats:

* [Parquet](https://huggingface.co/datasets/EmbedEarth/electrical-permits/resolve/main/data.parquet)
* [GeoJSON](https://huggingface.co/datasets/EmbedEarth/electrical-permits/resolve/main/data.geojson)
* [CSV](https://huggingface.co/datasets/EmbedEarth/electrical-permits/resolve/main/data.csv)

**Parquet** is recommended for analytics, data science, and large-scale processing.

**GeoJSON** is useful for GIS software, spatial databases, web maps, and geographic visualization.

**CSV** provides a simple tabular representation for general analysis.

## Build with the data

### Geographic search

**[EmbedEarth Search](https://www.embed.earth/docs/sdk/search)** lets developers search geographic features programmatically instead of relying only on pre-generated datasets.

Search can be used in maps, AI systems, research pipelines, monitoring tools, spatial applications, and geographic analysis workflows.

### API, SDK, CLI, and MCP

Use the **[EmbedEarth developer documentation](https://www.embed.earth/docs)** to connect permit records with other geographic features, regions, roads, buildings, infrastructure, and physical-world observations.

## Example applications

### Urban development intelligence

Map permit activity by place and time, compare reported work across jurisdictions, and combine permit records with buildings, roads, land use, neighborhoods, and other geographic context.

### Change over time

Use the release years as a historical baseline for studying construction activity, redevelopment, maintenance, property change, and neighborhood evolution.

### Spatial analysis

Join records to administrative boundaries, transit, parcels, infrastructure, or other geographic features for planning and research workflows.

### Geographic AI

Give AI systems structured, location-aware context about reported permit activity while retaining source-specific details for inspection.

## Methodology

The release combines public permit records from contributing municipal and regional open-data sources for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. Records are normalized into a common geospatial structure while source-specific values remain in `properties`.

Matching, classification, date interpretation, geocoding, and field availability can differ by source. Inclusion means that a record was present in a contributing public dataset; it does not mean that EmbedEarth independently verified the permit or the work described by the record.

## Data sources and attribution

This dataset was prepared and distributed by **[EmbedEarth](https://embed.earth)**.

Original or contributing sources include:

* [DOB NOW: Build Approved Permits](https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Housing-Development/DOB-NOW-Build-Approved-Permits/rbx6-tga4)
* [Building Permits](https://data.cityofchicago.org/Buildings/Building-Permits/ydr8-5enu)
* [Los Angeles Building Permits 2020-Present](https://data.lacity.org/d/gwh9-jnip)
* [Building and Safety - Building Permits Issued Between 2010 and 2019 (N)](https://data.lacity.org/d/dyxf-7hc4)
* [Building and Safety - Building Permits Issued Before 2010 (N)](https://data.lacity.org/d/e67z-kt2n)
* [Licenses & Inspections Building and Zoning Permits](https://opendataphilly.org/datasets/licenses-and-inspections-building-and-zoning-permits/)
* [CCS Permits](https://opendata.minneapolismn.gov/datasets/cityoflakes::ccs-permits/about)
* [Seattle Land Use Permits](https://data.seattle.gov/d/ht3q-kdvx)
* [Issued Construction Permits](https://data.austintexas.gov/Building-and-Development/Issued-Construction-Permits/3syk-w9eu)
* Austin Open Data
* Chicago Data Portal
* DataLA
* DataSF
* NYC Open Data
* OpenDataPhilly
* Seattle Open Data
* Vancouver Open Data

Where available, record-level attribution, source information, and source URLs are preserved in the exported records. Users should retain applicable attribution and comply with the terms established by each original source.

<!-- embedearth-tools:start -->
## Build with EmbedEarth

- [Geographic Feature List](https://embed.earth/catalog/features) — browse geographic features available through EmbedEarth
- [EmbedEarth](https://embed.earth) — programmable infrastructure for Earth
- [Developer Documentation](https://embed.earth/docs) — APIs, tools, guides, and examples
- [GitHub — EmbedEarth/e2](https://github.com/EmbedEarth/e2) — open-source code, issues, and contributions
- [Geographic Search SDK](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@embedearth/sdk) — search geographic features and regions programmatically
- [API](https://embed.earth/docs) — integrate geographic search and spatial data into applications
- [SDK](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@embedearth/sdk) — build geographic capabilities directly into applications
- [CLI](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@embedearth/cli) — work with geographic search and spatial data from the terminal
- [MCP](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@embedearth/mcp) — connect geographic search and spatial tools to AI agents

Install from npm:

```bash
npm i @embedearth/cli
npm i @embedearth/sdk
npm i @embedearth/mcp
```
<!-- embedearth-tools:end -->

## License

### Dataset compilation

This release is a compiled and normalized collection of public records. The source metadata does not provide one uniform machine-readable license covering every contributing jurisdiction, so the front matter uses `other` rather than asserting a single license for all underlying records.

EmbedEarth-created organization, normalization, and documentation should be attributed to EmbedEarth. A suggested attribution is:

> EmbedEarth, “Electrical Permit Records — 2018–2023,” https://embed.earth.

### Third-party records

The compilation attribution above does not replace, expand, or override licenses, terms, attribution requirements, or access conditions attached to third-party records. Users are responsible for reviewing the linked source pages before redistribution or commercial use.

## Limitations

Coverage depends on the contributing jurisdictions, their publication policies, their geographic coverage, and their update schedules. Field definitions, status values, date semantics, geocoding quality, and completeness vary across sources.

A permit record describes what a source reported. Permit issuance, approval, or publication should not be interpreted as proof that construction, demolition, installation, occupancy, or other work actually occurred. Applications requiring authoritative project or compliance decisions should independently verify the relevant record with the responsible jurisdiction.

---

## Access millions more geographic features

This Hugging Face dataset contains **159,257 electrical permit records**, but it represents only one collection from EmbedEarth's broader geographic infrastructure.

**EmbedEarth provides access to millions more geographic features and large collections of geolocated images and videos.**

Search infrastructure, places, roads, buildings, environmental features, community issues, physical conditions, and other real-world observations programmatically through our API, SDK, CLI, and MCP.

**[Explore EmbedEarth →](https://embed.earth)**

**[Read the developer documentation →](https://www.embed.earth/docs)**

**[Search geographic features with the SDK →](https://www.embed.earth/docs/sdk/search)**