Shovels Alternative — Igni for ADU & Permit Data
Shovels is known for nationwide permit & contractor data via API. See how Igni's ADU-typed, open-data permit feed differs — and what to verify first.
Shovels is widely known as a construction-data platform that surfaces building-permit and contractor data through an API and analytics dashboards — a developer- and analyst-friendly way to work with permit records at scale. If you're evaluating it and want a narrower, ADU-focused option to weigh alongside it, this page explains where Igni fits and how the two differ in approach.
Igni isn't a broad construction-data API; it's purpose-built for ADU and residential permit intelligence — typed ADU classification, California SB-9/SB-10 flags, and sub-24-hour freshness, sourced directly from official municipal open-data portals. We describe how Igni works rather than asserting Shovels' current specifics, which you should confirm on their own site. For background on the data itself, start with our building-permit data guide.
Competitor details change. The comparison below is based on general, publicly available information and describes how Igni approaches each dimension — always verify a vendor's current specifics, pricing, and coverage on their official site before deciding.
How they compare
| Dimension | Igni | Shovels (verify on their site) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | ADU & residential permit intelligence (typed ADU, SB-9/SB-10). | Broad construction & contractor data via API — verify scope on their site. |
| Data sourcing | Directly from official municipal open-data portals, normalized. | Check their site for sourcing details. |
| Coverage | 65 cities across 37 US states, expanding by jurisdiction. | Varies — verify current coverage on their site. |
| Freshness | Sub-24h where the source portal supports it. | Varies — check their stated update cadence. |
| Typed ADU classification | Detached / attached / junior / conversion / unknown. | Verify whether ADU-subtype typing is offered. |
| California SB-9 / SB-10 flags | Carried as flags on California records. | — (verify on their site) |
| Pricing model | Contact-driven during the pilot (pre-revenue, no self-serve checkout). | Varies — see their pricing page. |
| Access | Request access via contact form; coverage discussed per market. | Check their site for sign-up / access details. |
What Shovels is known for
Shovels has a reputation as a construction-data platform aimed at developers, analysts, and businesses that want building-permit and contractor data they can plug into their own tools and workflows. It's generally associated with broad, nationwide permit coverage delivered through an API and analytics dashboards, with contractor information alongside the permit records. That makes it a natural fit when you need programmatic access to a wide swath of construction data and have the technical resources to build on top of it.
That's a genuinely different center of gravity from Igni. Where a broad construction-data API is built for breadth and integration, Igni is built for a specific vertical. We're describing Shovels in general terms on purpose — its exact coverage, features, and pricing change, so check their site for current specifics before you decide.
Where Igni differs: ADU-specialized permit data
Igni's whole reason for existing is the ADU and residential niche. Rather than offer the widest possible construction dataset, it applies a typed ADU classification — detached, attached, junior, conversion, or unknown — to every record, carries California SB-9/SB-10 flags, and focuses on sub-24-hour freshness so a filing surfaces while it still matters for outreach. The trade-off is deliberate: narrower scope, deeper specialization.
So the choice often comes down to use case. If you need a broad, developer-oriented construction-data API across all project types, a platform like Shovels is built for that. If your work centers on accessory units and residential construction and you want the ADU typing and California signal done for you, that's exactly the gap Igni fills. See how the typing works in our ADU permit guide.
Compare both on the dimensions that matter
Whichever way you lean, judge both on the same checklist: sourcing (where the data originates and how verifiable it is), coverage (which markets, and how it grows), freshness (how soon a filing appears), classification (whether ADUs are typed or left as raw text), and delivery (dashboard, export, API, or alerts). Igni's answer to sourcing is that every record traces back to an official municipal open-data portal, normalized into one schema across 65 cities in 37 US states.
We'd rather hand you that framework than assert specifics about Shovels that may have changed — apply it to both using each source's own current documentation. You can preview Igni's live activity in the permit dashboard.
When Igni is the right fit
Igni is the strongest fit if your work centers on ADUs and residential construction, you want California SB-9/SB-10 signal, and you value open-data sourcing you can verify — rather than a general-purpose construction-data API. It's pre-revenue and contact-driven during the pilot, so access is a conversation about your markets rather than a self-serve checkout.
If that matches how you work, request access and tell us which cities and project types you focus on. For audience-specific detail, see our pages for ADU builders and general contractors.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shovels best known for?
How is Igni different from Shovels?
Does Igni offer an API like Shovels?
How do I compare specifics with Shovels?
See how Igni fits your markets
Igni is contact-driven during its pilot. Tell us which cities and project types you focus on, and we'll show you the coverage, freshness and ADU typing for your markets.
Related reading
Competitor details change and this comparison reflects general, publicly available information — always verify a vendor's current specifics on their official site. Informational only, not legal advice.