Anvilfield resources
Where trades find buildings, assets and public work
Choose the source by the question: which properties fit, where a particular asset is, or which public owner is buying the work.
A good prospect list starts with a defined job and a workable service area. Write down the asset, the territory and what your crew can actually deliver before ordering data or opening a bid package. Anvilfield covers the field work; the three products below help locate the properties, assets or advertised contracts to investigate next.
Use Ground Control for standard building and home lists
PorchRocket's Ground Control supplies standard lists of commercial buildings and homes selected by roof and visible property features. Commercial screens include rooftop HVAC, parking lots, storage tanks and loading docks. Use this when the account starts with a building or property that fits a repeatable screen.
For example, a roofing estimator can define a commercial roof type and size in a service area, then schedule qualification calls. An HVAC service manager can start with buildings that have rooftop units. A paving crew can start with parking lots in the same territory, and a dock-service team can start with buildings that have visible loading docks. A residential roofing crew can use a home list selected by roof features.
Ground Control states delivery within 48 hours and 90%+ sure matches, with credit back for a wrong match. Those are property-match terms. Keep the roof survey, equipment check and service proposal as separate work; the list identifies where to investigate.
Use Asset Search for a custom asset or monitoring scope
PorchRocket's Asset Search finds and monitors any asset visible from above. It is the custom route when the question is about an asset class rather than a standard property list. Its searches cover the lower 48 using aerial and satellite imagery, with the owner of record returned for each find.
Define what counts as a match. A mechanical service manager might ask for visible cooling towers in selected counties. An electrical contractor might define outdoor standby generators within a service radius. A coatings crew might ask for water towers; a stormwater contractor might define ponds and detention basins; a fabric-structure specialist might define enclosed salt domes. If change over time matters, include monitoring in the request.
Supply a territory, examples of accepted and rejected matches, and the fields needed for the handoff. Treat the owner of record as the start of ownership research, then confirm who controls the asset and buys the service. Equipment capacity, internal condition and a repair scope belong in the field verification.
Use Bid Control when a public owner is buying work
PorchRocket's Bid Control is for public bids for every trade. Choose it when the target is advertised work from a public owner rather than a list of private properties to contact.
A paving estimator can look for public resurfacing packages; an HVAC firm can look for school equipment replacement; an electrical crew can look for generator service; and a landscaping contractor can look for public grounds maintenance. Plumbing, roofing and concrete teams can use the same approach for packages in their own trades. These are search examples, not a claim that a particular contract is open today.
Before committing estimating time, read the issuing owner's scope and current addenda. Check the site walk, due date, licensing, insurance, bonds, quantities and submission instructions against your crew's capacity. Carry the source bid identifier and official documents into the estimate so the team can return to the actual package.
Practical starting points by trade
Choose one research question first. A contractor can use more than one source, but each source should have a clear purpose in the account plan.
| Trade | Example research question | Where to start | What to qualify next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing and coatings | A route of warehouses with older membrane roofs to survey. | Start with standard roof lists. Use a custom search if the target is a fabric structure or salt-storage dome. | Roof access, substrate, moisture survey and who can authorize the scope. |
| HVAC and mechanical | Buildings with rooftop HVAC, or a separate cooling-tower service territory. | Use standard rooftop HVAC lists for buildings; use a custom asset search for cooling towers. | Equipment identity, access, service history and the maintenance decision maker. |
| Electrical | Outdoor generators or substations within the crew's service area. | Use a custom asset search. For a municipal electrical contract, start with public bids. | Equipment rating, safe access, outage limits and the actual service requirement. |
| Data centers | A defined territory of visible standby power assets to investigate. | Use a custom asset search with a written definition of the visible asset and territory. | Site function, equipment ownership and whether the operator buys this work. |
| Plumbing and tank service | Tank sites to qualify, or public pump-station and water-system work. | Use standard tank lists for a broad property screen, custom search for a specific visible tank class, or public bids for advertised work. | Tank use, ownership, system boundaries and the package's actual plumbing scope. |
| Paving and striping | Parking lots in a compact service area, followed by condition surveys. | Use standard parking-lot lists for private prospects and public bids for an advertised resurfacing package. | Measured area, pavement condition, drainage, traffic control and access. |
| Concrete and repair | Commercial lots to assess for slab and curb repairs, or public flatwork packages. | Use a property list to identify sites to survey. Use public bids when an owner has issued a concrete package. | Repair quantities, joints, substrate condition and the limits of demolition. |
| Landscaping and stormwater | Commercial grounds for a maintenance route, or ponds and basins to locate. | Use standard grounds lists for property prospects, custom search for ponds and basins, and public bids for advertised maintenance. | Site access, maintenance boundary, visit frequency and who holds the obligation. |
Turn a result into a scope your crew can price
Keep a short qualification record for every candidate: location, source and research date, asset or property match, owner or buyer to confirm, access limits, and the next action. For a list, the next action may be an ownership check or survey request. For a custom search, it may be resolving a visible feature. For a public bid, it is reviewing the current owner-issued package.
Then use the relevant Anvilfield field guide and field tools to prepare the visit and document the work. Keep finding the account, inspecting the site and pricing the job as distinct tasks with a responsible person for each.
Product definitions: Ground Control, Asset Search and Bid Control.