The records on a project, defined.

Every development leaves a paper trail at the county: a deed, a zoning case, a loan, a permit, a notice, sometimes a lien. These are the records Groundbreak reads every day, what each one tells you, and which of the seven markets publish it.

Building permit

A building permit is the city or county's written approval to begin construction work described in an application: a new building, an addition, an alteration or a demolition.

Austin · Atlanta · Miami · Nashville · Tampa Bay · Charlotte · Dallas-Fort Worth

Trade sub-permit

A trade sub-permit is a separate permit pulled by the subcontractor for one trade on a job: electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing, shoring or concrete.

Miami

Notice of commencement

A notice of commencement (NOC) is a document the property owner records with the county clerk before construction begins, as required by Florida's Construction Lien Law (section 713.13) for improvements over $5,000, a threshold raised from $2,500 on October 1, 2023.

Miami · Tampa Bay

Deed (warranty deed, special warranty deed)

A deed is the recorded instrument that transfers title to real property from the grantor (seller) to the grantee (buyer).

Austin · Atlanta · Miami · Nashville · Tampa Bay · Dallas-Fort Worth

Deed of trust

A deed of trust is the instrument Texas and North Carolina use in place of a mortgage: the borrower conveys the property to a trustee as security for a loan from the lender named in the document.

Atlanta · Miami · Tampa Bay · Dallas-Fort Worth

Construction loan (recorded mortgage)

A construction loan is a mortgage or deed of trust recorded against a site to fund building on it.

Atlanta · Miami · Tampa Bay · Dallas-Fort Worth

Mechanic's lien (claim of lien)

A mechanic's lien, called a claim of lien in Florida and Georgia, is a recorded claim by a contractor, subcontractor or supplier against a property for unpaid work or materials.

Atlanta · Miami · Tampa Bay · Dallas-Fort Worth

Lis pendens

A lis pendens is a recorded notice that a lawsuit affecting title to a property is pending, most often a foreclosure.

Atlanta · Miami · Tampa Bay · Dallas-Fort Worth

Site plan (site development permit)

A site plan is the drawing and application a developer files with the city planning department showing how a parcel will be built out: buildings, parking, drainage, setbacks and landscaping.

Austin · Atlanta · Miami · Nashville · Tampa Bay · Charlotte · Dallas-Fort Worth

Zoning case (rezoning petition)

A zoning case, called a rezoning petition in Charlotte, is an application to change the zoning district or the permitted use of a parcel.

Austin · Atlanta · Miami · Nashville · Tampa Bay · Charlotte · Dallas-Fort Worth

TDLR registration (Texas Architectural Barriers)

A TDLR registration is the pre-construction filing every Texas building project with an estimated cost of $50,000 or more must make with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation under the Architectural Barriers Act, so the design can be reviewed for accessibility.

Austin

Owner of record

The owner of record is the person or entity shown as owner on the county appraisal or assessor roll for a parcel.

Austin · Atlanta · Miami · Nashville · Tampa Bay · Charlotte · Dallas-Fort Worth

Parcel (folio, PIN, account number)

A parcel is the unit of land the county assessor identifies with one number: a folio in Miami-Dade, a PIN in Mecklenburg, a property ID in Travis CAD.

Austin · Atlanta · Miami · Nashville · Tampa Bay · Charlotte · Dallas-Fort Worth

Certificate of occupancy

A certificate of occupancy (CO) is the document the building department issues when a finished building has passed its final inspections and may be occupied for its permitted use.

Austin · Atlanta · Miami · Nashville · Tampa Bay · Charlotte · Dallas-Fort Worth