Data through September 2026 · updated 20 Oct 2026
The usual permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 33 days from issue to the county's final inspection; the middle half take 16 to 79 days. That is from 6,908 permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 that reached a final. Roofing permits are quickest at 24 days; new home permits take longest at 194 days. This is the time to finish the work and close the permit, not the wait for approval.
“How long does a permit take?” can mean two waits. This page measures the second one.
Getting the permit (not measured): application → issue, the wait for the county to approve the plans. Ask the county for its current review times.
Finishing the work (measured here): issue → final. From the day the county issued the permit to the day it recorded the final inspection. We count only permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends, so slow jobs have had time to finish; a permit still open is not in the days.
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025. Usual days is the middle permit among those with a final date: half finished sooner, half later. Middle half is the range the middle 50% fell in. Kinds of work with fewer than 100 permits in that period are left out.
| Kind of work | Permits | Finished | Expired | Usual days to final | Middle half (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 2,211 | 96.8% | 3.0% | 24 | 14–41 |
| HVAC | 1,337 | 82.0% | 17.4% | 26 | 13–53 |
| Plumbing | 1,071 | 85.2% | 13.3% | 24 | 9–57 |
| Remodels & repairs | 827 | 92.7% | 6.2% | 54 | 29–112 |
| Electrical | 894 | 89.1% | 10.1% | 32 | 11–65 |
| New homes | 347 | 85.9% | 3.5% | 194 | 132–267 |
| Garages, sheds & shade structures | 269 | 86.2% | 11.2% | 75 | 35–136 |
| Pools & spas | 106 | 86.8% | 8.5% | 183 | 134–240 |
| Other | 556 | 83.8% | 6.3% | 76 | 31–145 |
Each kind of work on its own, issue to the county's final.
The usual roofing permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 24 days from issue to final; the middle half take 14 to 41 days (2,138 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 97% of the 2,211 permits issued then have finished and 3% expired. Alachua County roofing permits →
The usual HVAC permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 26 days from issue to final; the middle half take 13 to 53 days (1,046 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 82% of the 1,337 permits issued then have finished and 17% expired. Alachua County HVAC permits →
The usual plumbing permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 24 days from issue to final; the middle half take 9 to 57 days (900 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 85% of the 1,071 permits issued then have finished and 13% expired. Alachua County plumbing permits →
The usual remodel and repair permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 54 days from issue to final; the middle half take 29 to 112 days (760 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 93% of the 827 permits issued then have finished and 6% expired. Alachua County remodel and repair permits →
The usual electrical permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 32 days from issue to final; the middle half take 11 to 65 days (783 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 89% of the 894 permits issued then have finished and 10% expired. Alachua County electrical permits →
The usual new home permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 194 days from issue to final; the middle half take 132 to 267 days (296 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 86% of the 347 permits issued then have finished and 4% expired. Alachua County new home permits →
The usual garage, shed and shade structure permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 75 days from issue to final; the middle half take 35 to 136 days (229 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 86% of the 269 permits issued then have finished and 11% expired. Alachua County garage, shed and shade structure permits →
The usual pool and spa permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 183 days from issue to final; the middle half take 134 to 240 days (91 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 87% of the 106 permits issued then have finished and 8% expired. Alachua County pool and spa permits →
The usual demolition permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 35 days from issue to final; the middle half take 14 to 74 days (66 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
The usual solar permit in unincorporated Alachua County takes 61 days from issue to final; the middle half take 28 to 125 days (82 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.
How long permits take for other places in Gainesville. Each permit office keeps its own file, so the numbers are not added together.
Source: Alachua County Growth Management, CitizenServe building permits (ArcGIS: BuildingPermitsCS), read 20 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.
Permits the Alachua County Building Division issues for unincorporated land only, plus the small towns that contract with the county for building services. Gainesville, Alachua, High Springs and Newberry run their own permit offices and are not in this file; Gainesville has its own page on this site.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Contractor Records, "How long do permits take in unincorporated Alachua County, FL?", https://contractorrecords.com/alachua-county/how-long-does-a-permit-take, data through September 2026, from Alachua County Growth Management building-permit records.Link to a table: By kind of work · Each kind of permit.
Download the tables (CSV): Days to final by kind of work.