How Mercator.ai Gives Texas Contractors Early Access to Private Construction Projects

A New Edge in Construction Intelligence

Texas general contractors have traditionally counted on luck, timing, and personal connections to secure new construction projects. That approach is shifting with Mercator.ai, an AI-driven platform that helps contractors spot private projects earlier, connect with key decision-makers sooner, and close deals ahead of competitors. One Houston GC summed it up: “It’s God mode for leads.”

Mercator.ai focuses on the Texas market and has cataloged over 65,000 active private construction projects statewide. It taps into early signals like rezoning activity, land title changes, permitting updates, and ownership transfers—often before plans are finalized or teams are assigned. Unlike legacy platforms that rely on user input or call centers, Mercator.ai extracts data directly from city and state databases, private sources, and even builds proprietary information where none exists. Every update links back to a source document, providing a clear paper trail. This setup lets users connect information that would normally take weeks to piece together.

Built for Early Signal Detection

Contractors can track civil engineers, developers, and architects, monitor project progress, and engage decision-makers earlier in the process. The platform helps business development teams become trusted advisors who influence project scope rather than just respond to it. Mercator.ai offers real-time visibility into private construction opportunities before they reach the bid stage, showing what’s coming instead of what’s already public.

10x Better Than Legacy Tools

Platforms like ConstructConnect and Dodge focus on public bid-stage activity, often signaling project opportunities too late for meaningful early engagement. Private projects rarely appear on bid boards until late in the process. “ConstructConnect tells you what’s already happening. Mercator shows you what’s coming,” says Mercator.ai founder Chloe Smith.

Mercator.ai Origin Story

Chloe Smith developed Mercator.ai in 2020 after watching her father, a seasoned industry veteran, prepare for retirement. “They were flying blind,” she recalls. “Had he walked out, they wouldn’t know where the work was coming from next.” Relationships had been the core of their business, but Chloe realized how fragile that model was if those relationships disappeared. Mercator.ai acts as a force multiplier for business development teams—a sales “cheat code” that replaces hours of manual research with verified, real-time insights. It also addresses the frustration of missing out on unknown opportunities. As one VP of Business Development put it, “We were tired of hearing about projects too late. With Mercator, we’re in early—and it’s directly impacted our win rate.”

Results on the Ground

• General contractors like Joeris, Bartlett Cocke, and ChalkLine are already using Mercator.ai, making it the go-to tool for proactive business development across Texas.
• A Houston interiors firm spotted a permit revision, secured a meeting, and won the project.
• A Dallas contractor tracked multifamily conversions early, landing two jobs before competitors even knew about them.
• One Houston GC identified a self-storage project by noticing early land acquisition and rezoning signals, influenced the design by inviting the developer to a similar build, and won the job.
• A self-perform contractor locked in supplier work weeks before bid packages were available on a healthcare expansion.

Users report uncovering 3–5 times more early-stage opportunities weekly, while spending less time following dead-end leads. “If I have one coffee meeting, I might walk away with two leads in an hour. If I’m on Mercator, I could find five in that same time,” says a Director of Business Development. Other users praise the platform’s ability to filter data and deliver high-quality leads quickly.

Widespread Adoption and Growing Demand

Mercator.ai is actively used by members of Houston AGC, Austin AGC, San Antonio AGC, and Texo AGC/ABC. It tracks commercial, industrial, healthcare, institutional, and multifamily projects across tenant improvements, exterior renovations, core and shell, and ground-up construction in all major Texas metros. As competition tightens and margins shrink, having timely, accurate information has become a key advantage. “AI gives people the time and space to be more strategic,” says Nihar Dalmia, partner at Deloitte. “It enables higher-value work and accelerates decision-making.”

See Deals First

Mercator.ai doesn’t replace your business development efforts—it sharpens them. The best teams don’t just move faster; they arrive earlier with more value to contribute. To learn more or request a demo, visit www.mercator.ai. Houston Business Journal readers get 24 hours of complimentary access through August 31 by mentioning HBJ upon sign-up.