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Reference 6 min read

How the fit score works

Five groups, nine factors, scored out of 100, no black box. The exact math behind every Hot, Warm, Prospect, and Watch pin.

Every permit gets a fit score from 0 to 100, worked out from nine factors and added up in five groups. The tiers: Hot is 70+, Warm 40–69, Prospect 14–39, Watch under 14. The pin colour matches the tier, so the map reads at a glance.

GroupMaxWhat it measures
Timing38The big one. Whether your trade is up on this job (up to 30: the best time earns the most, a bit early is fine, late drops fast) plus freshness (up to 8 for a permit added in the last week, fading to 0 after three months; it never goes negative).
Project fit20How well the project type matches what you told us (up to 12) plus how well the value fits your kind of work (up to 8).
Location19The area you cover: a city match earns 15, a region match 14, same province 6. Being close to your base adds up to 4.
Connections30Builders you have worked with or watch (up to 18), plus permits that look like deals you have already won (up to 12).
Reachability8How good the contact details are: phone and email on file earns the full 8, one of the two earns 5, a name only (or a builder we identified but have no line for) earns 3, and an address alone earns 1. So you know before you dial.
NoteThe group maxes add up to more than 100. The total is capped at 100, so a permit does not need a perfect card in every group to reach the top.

The extra checks

The total is not the whole story. A few checks can pull a tier down. Hot needs a real reason tied to your profile: the timing is right for your trade, you have a real relationship (the builder is in your pipeline, or the job looks like ones you have won), or it is your kind of project in your area. A brand-new permit does not get Hot just for being new. Warm needs at least one genuinely strong signal. And one rule works the other way: a builder on your watchlist, or one you have won five or more deals with, is Hot automatically.

What this means in practice

  • Open the breakdown, not just the number. Tap a project and expand the score. Each of the nine factors shows what it earned out of its max, with a one-line reason. So you can tell a 78 that is high because of timing from one that is high because you have worked with the builder.
  • Scores move. Freshness points fade over the first three months, and the best time for your trade comes and goes. Today's Watch pin can be next month's Hot.
  • You control more of the score than you think. Your Targeting settings (trades, project types, value range) drive Timing and Project fit. The regions and cities you cover drive Location. The builders you star drive Connections.
  • A 65 in your backyard often beats an 80 across town once distance and relationships count. The breakdown is there so the score earns your trust instead of asking for it.
TipIf your map feels off, fix the inputs, not the output. Tighten your trades and area in Settings → Targeting and every permit re-ranks to your work.
Keep reading
Questions to ask Scout
Reference · 3 min
Permit & pipeline glossary
Reference · 8 min
Frequently asked questions
Reference · 5 min

See it on your own area

Everything in this guide runs live in BuildMapper: a scored map, the right time to call, Scout, your AI assistant, and a pipeline. Free trial: 25 project views or 14 days, whichever comes first, no card.