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Filters in Shovels Online help you narrow down search results to find exactly what you need.

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Available Filter Categories

  • Financial - Filter by job value, fees
  • Building - Filter by property type, building characteristics
  • Permit - Filter by status, type, date range
  • Contractor - Filter by contractor attributes

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How Filters Work

When using filters, the platform shows contractors based on permits that:
  1. Were pulled within your specified timeframe
  2. Meet ALL your filter criteria (AND logic)

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Important: Permit Count Behavior

The count of permits displayed alongside each contractor remains static regardless of filters applied.
Example: If a contractor has pulled 100 permits total but only 10 meet your filter criteria, the platform still shows “100 permits” next to their name. Workaround: Click into individual contractor profiles to see the detailed breakdown of permits matching your specific criteria.

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Troubleshooting: Greyed-Out “Apply Filters” Button

If the “Apply filters” button is greyed out, it typically indicates:

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1. Address/Filter Details Not Resolved

The system requires a valid geography selection. If your address or filters don’t match the database, the button stays inactive.

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2. No Results for Filters

If the information is correct but no permits match your filters, the button may be greyed out.

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Steps to Fix

  1. Check required fields:
    • Ensure geolocation is set (state, county, city, jurisdiction, zip code, or address)
  2. Verify dates and geography:
    • Make sure both date fields and a geographical area are set
    • These are typically the first fields on the top left
  3. Broaden your filters:
    • Try removing some filters to see if results appear
    • Double-check spelling and format

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Best Practices

  1. Start with broader filters, then narrow down
  2. Use the date range filter to focus on recent activity
  3. Check contractor profiles for detailed permit breakdowns
  4. Download results to CSV for advanced sorting in Excel or Google Sheets