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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.

Shovels assigns unique contractor IDs and works to deduplicate contractors across the permits we collect.

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How Deduplication Works

We assign a unique contractor_ID to any contractor we see in our system and work to ensure this ID is:
  • Deduplicated within the dataset
  • A unique identifier for each contractor

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Contractor IDs in Permits

In our permits table, we include the contractor_ID whenever there is an associated contractor.

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Contractor Groups

If we believe a unique contractor is associated with a larger group or parent company, we also associate that contractor_ID with a contractor group_ID. Example: If we see a local plumber and believe they are a local branch of a regional plumbing company, both would share the same group_ID.

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State-Level Deduplication

Currently, we deduplicate contractors per state. This means:
  • The same contractor ID will not appear across different states
  • If ABC Plumbing Inc does business in both CA and AZ, it will have 2 unique contractor_IDs
We are working on creating a national contractor ID system. Check our blog for the latest announcements.

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The is_representative Field

For EDL deliveries, the is_representative field indicates whether a contractor record is the main representative of a group_id.
FieldMeaning
is_representative = TRUEThis record contains the canonical/preferred information for the entire group
is_representative = FALSEThis is a related contractor in the group

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Why This Matters

This feature helps:
  • Prevent double-counting of organizations operating under multiple names
  • Avoid reaching out to the same organization multiple times
  • Enable more accurate market analysis