Win repair jobs the City already ordered
The City orders about 66 Minneapolis properties a week to fix windows, doors, siding, roofs, gutters, steps, paint or heating. Get each one the morning after, with the owner's name, mailing address and, for most rentals, email. $39/mo on any paid plan.
Add it to my plan See a sample order
New to Exterior Permits? Start Pro + Repair Orders. Founding offer: the first 25 add-on subscribers keep $39/mo for life. This count is separate from the plan offer.
Why an order is a warm lead
A repair order isn't a maybe. The owner has been told to fix it, and inspectors come back to check. Miss the deadline and fines and assessments follow. So you're not selling the need. You're the contractor who shows up first with a price.
Which orders fit your trade
| City order | Your trade | Properties / week |
|---|---|---|
| Repair or replace windows, glass, screens, storm doors, exterior doors | Windows & doors | 27 |
| Repair or replace exterior walls, exterior maintenance | Siding | 8 |
| Repair or replace roof, repair roof overhang | Roofing (and soffit/fascia) | 5 |
| Repair or remove gutters | Gutters | fewer than 5 |
| Paint house, paint garage | Painting | 8 |
| Exterior steps, outdoor spaces, handrails, guardrails, porches | Decks, steps & railings | 21 |
| Garage/shed, fence, foundation, chimney | Carpentry, fencing, masonry | 12 |
| HVAC safety check, heating equipment, low heat | HVAC | 40 |
Counts: properties with a matching order, Oct 2025 to Oct 2026, divided by 54 weeks. One property can need several trades. Electrical and plumbing orders are not included.
What's in each order
- Address, the items the City ordered fixed, order date, status (for example reinspection pending) and days open
- Rentals: landlord or license holder name, mailing address and, for about 8 in 10 orders, email, plus the property manager when one is listed
- Owner-occupied homes: owner name and mailing address
- Your trades first, then every other repair order. CSV in every email; on Mondays, a list of open orders that moved to citation or assessment
- No phone numbers
When to reach out
- Day 1–7, new order. About one in five orders that get fixed is fixed within a week, so be early.
- Reinspection pending. Most open orders (about 77%) sit here. The owner needs the work done before the inspector returns.
- Citation or Intent to Assess. The City has escalated the order. These owners usually want a firm start date.
Median fix time for orders that get fixed: 46 days (windows and doors 57, roofing 62, paint 33, HVAC 43). The City doesn't publish the exact due date, so each order shows its date, status and days open.
How to reach the owner
- Rentals: the landlord's name, mailing address and, for about 8 in 10 orders, email.
- Owner-occupied homes: owner name and mailing address.
- What works: a short letter or postcard that names the repair, a clear price range and when you can start. A plain one-to-one email. A door knock with a leave-behind.
Example (real order, anonymized)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Property | Licensed duplex, North Minneapolis (full address in your email) |
| Ordered | Sep 24, 2026 |
| Items | Windows · glass · storm door · screen door · screens · exterior doors · exterior walls · garage · roof overhang · front steps |
| Status | Open, reinspection pending |
| Trades | Windows & doors · Siding · Roofing · Steps · Garage |
| Contact | Landlord name · Mailing address · Email |
For a window and door contractor, that's one owner and one visit, and a job worth more than a typical single-window call. Send a letter naming the window and door items with a start date, then follow up by email a week later.
Orders come from City records and may already be fixed or closed. Check before you reach out, and never say an owner is in violation unless the City record shows it's open.
Outreach rules
No robocalls, no texts and no autodialed calls without the owner's written consent. Emails must follow CAN-SPAM: your real name and business, a physical address and a working unsubscribe. Any phone outreach must follow the TCPA and the National and Minnesota Do Not Call rules. Be factual. Mention the City order, but don't claim to work for the City. Keep it helpful: name the repair and your price. Don't threaten fines or shame the owner. Orders come from City records and may already be fixed or closed. Check before you reach out, and never say an owner is in violation unless the City record shows it's open. Details in Terms §7A. Owners and landlords can ask to be removed at /remove/.
Repair Orders FAQ
What is the Repair Orders add-on?
A weekday-morning email, with a CSV, of new City of Minneapolis code-violation orders for exterior and heating repairs, about 66 properties a week. Each order lists the address, the items the City ordered fixed, the order date, the status and the days open. $39/mo on top of Pro or Full Metro.
Who do I contact, and how?
For licensed rentals you get the landlord's name, mailing address and, for about 8 in 10 orders, the email on the City rental license. For owner-occupied homes you get the owner's name and mailing address. No phone numbers.
Does the City tell you the deadline?
No. The City doesn't publish compliance due dates. We show the order date, status and days open. Orders that get fixed take a median of 46 days.
How do I add it?
Already on Pro or Full Metro: use the "Add Repair Orders" link in your Monday email, or add it here. New: pick Pro or Full Metro on the subscribe page and tick Repair Orders. You pay a prorated amount for the rest of the month.
Can I stop it without canceling my plan?
Yes. Every repair-order email has a "Stop repair-order emails" link. It removes the add-on right away; your permit alerts continue.
What are the outreach rules?
No robocalls, texts or autodialed calls without the owner's prior express written consent. Emails must follow CAN-SPAM: your real business name, a physical address and a working unsubscribe. Phone outreach must follow the TCPA and the National and Minnesota Do Not Call rules. Keep it helpful: name the repair and your price. Don't threaten fines or shame the owner. See Terms §7A.
$39/mo add-on to Pro ($49) or Full Metro ($99). Minneapolis only. Remove it any time.