> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shovels.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What Areas Does Shovels Cover?

> Shovels covers ~2,000 US jurisdictions representing ~85% of the US population. Data goes back to 2010+. We add 10-30 new jurisdictions monthly.

**Shovels covers approximately 2,000 jurisdictions representing about 85% of the US population.** Our data extends back to at least 2010 for all jurisdictions, with many going further. We add 10-30 new jurisdictions and 5-10 million new permits each month.

## Current Coverage

* **\~2,000 jurisdictions** covered
* **\~85% of the US population** represented
* **10-30 new jurisdictions** added each month
* **5-10 million new permits** added monthly

## Power Law Distribution

Coverage follows a power law distribution across the approximately 20,000 jurisdictions in the United States:

* About **85% of the US population** resides in just **15% of jurisdictions**
* Shovels has strategically focused on covering these high-density areas first

<Info>
  We continue to expand our coverage into the "long tail" of smaller jurisdictions while maintaining focus on population centers.
</Info>

## Data Sources

We gather permit data from a variety of sources:

### Primary Sources

* **Local jurisdiction websites** - City and county building department online portals
* **Municipal open data portals** - Dedicated open data initiatives
* **Building department APIs** - Official jurisdiction APIs when available
* **Public records requests** - For jurisdictions without digital access

### Supplementary Sources

* **State contractor licensing boards** - To verify contractor information
* **Address standardization databases** - Multiple sources for geocoding and standardization
* **Tax assessor records** - To enhance property information

## Historical Data

Our data coverage extends back to **at least 2010** for all jurisdictions, with many going further back.

<Info>
  In some cases, jurisdictions don't pull historical data into their online systems, which can limit how far back certain records go.
</Info>

## Why Some Permits Might Be Missing

Even in covered jurisdictions, some permits may not appear due to:

* **Digitization gaps** - Not all jurisdictions have digitized historical records
* **Data availability** - Some permits lack required fields or are incomplete
* **Processing delays** - New permits take time to enter our system

For a detailed explanation, see [Permit Availability](/docs/foundations-understanding-permits) in our Foundations section.

## Find Coverage Information

* [List of all covered jurisdictions](https://www.shovels.ai/blog/list-of-all-building-permit-jurisdictions/)
* [Coverage Dashboard](https://www.shovels.ai/coverage)

## Related Articles

* [Understanding jurisdictions](/docs/knowledge-base/data/geographic/jurisdictions)
* [Data refresh frequency](/docs/knowledge-base/data/quality/refresh-frequency)
* [Why am I getting so few results?](/docs/knowledge-base/data/quality/few-results)
* [Permit Availability explained](/docs/foundations-understanding-permits)