When should you schedule work in Ames?

If you can choose, book in a quiet month at the permit counter: for HVAC work, March (busiest July); for water heater replacement, August (busiest July); for electrical work, December (busiest October). Each trade has its own season; the questions above give every trade we track, with the usual days to sign-off.

How many building permits does Ames issue a year?

About 1,839 a year for the 7 kinds of home work we track (5,518 permits over 36 months, October 2023 through September 2026); 2,129 in the last 12 months. That is not the city's count of every permit: it covers HVAC, water heater, electrical, plumbing, deck & porch, remodel & repair, new home, not commercial work or trades we don't read.

Who are the most active contractors in Ames?

By permits pulled in the last 12 months: C and K Inc (309); Draintech (155); Neighbors Heating & Cooling (152). That is volume, not quality: compare finished share and filed values before you hire.

What is the busiest month for permits in Ames?

July, counting every trade. February is the quietest. The chart above shows each trade; they do not all peak together.

How many contractors are active in Ames?

341 distinct business names appear on the file; 226 of them pulled at least one permit in the last 12 months.

Ames, IA Permit Statistics: Most Active Contractors

By trade

Firms are distinct business names on the file. A linked usual filed value opens what that work costs. Finished is the share of permits a year or more old that the city closed out. Days to finish run from issue to the city's completion date, not from application.

Trade	Permits	Firms	Active last 12 mo	Usual filed value	Days to finish	Busiest month
HVAC	1,733	50	37	—	7	July
Water Heater	1,578	49	37	—	2	July
Electrical	798	76	55	—	93	October
Plumbing	786	73	55	—	94	April
Deck & Porch	245	95	45	$12,000	91	September
Remodel & Repair	215	84	43	$18,498	97	March
New Home	163	21	14	$350,000	263	August

Permits by year

The file we publish splits exactly into the last 12 months on file and the 24 months before them, so these are 12-month periods ending September 2026, not calendar years. Per year scales each period to 12 months. Counts cover the 7 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Ames issues.

Period	Months	Permits	Per year
Oct 2023–Sep 2025	24	3,389	1,694
Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months)	12	2,129	2,129

By month

Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 6 biggest trades, October 2023 through September 2026. A tall bar is a busy month at the permit counter, which usually means a longer wait for a contractor.

HVAC

1,733 permits · busiest July, quietest March

Water Heater

1,578 permits · busiest July, quietest August

Electrical

798 permits · busiest October, quietest December

Plumbing

786 permits · busiest April, quietest December

Deck & Porch

245 permits · busiest September, quietest January

Remodel & Repair

215 permits · busiest March, quietest September

The same numbers as a table

Trade	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
HVAC	116	71	68	77	97	100	150	100	89	118	102	112
Water Heater	103	102	103	97	97	95	144	73	84	107	94	101
Electrical	86	89	122	108	102	99	93	93	108	125	92	83
Plumbing	73	81	124	151	95	99	128	99	88	128	70	63
Deck & Porch	24	44	113	122	137	113	122	83	186	142	69	44
Remodel & Repair	134	128	151	112	73	95	117	100	45	100	73	73

When Ames schedules each kind of work

For each trade, the month with the most permit filings and the month with the fewest, October 2023 through September 2026. Trades do not all peak together, so the busy season depends on the job. Busiest is not the same as best: these are counts of filings, not prices or weather, though a quiet month at the permit counter can mean contractors have more room in the schedule.

When is the busiest season for HVAC contractors in Ames?

July: Ames HVAC permits peak in July (150 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (68). That is from 1,733 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, March has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 7 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the HVAC chart →

When is the busiest season for water heater installers in Ames?

July: Ames water heater permits peak in July (144 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); August is the quietest (73). That is from 1,578 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule water heater replacement, August has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 2 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the water heater chart →

When is the busiest season for electricians in Ames?

October: Ames electrical permits peak in October (125 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (83). That is from 798 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 93 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the electrical chart →

When is the busiest season for plumbers in Ames?

April: Ames plumbing permits peak in April (151 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (63). That is from 786 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 94 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the plumbing chart →

When is the busiest season for deck builders in Ames?

September: Ames deck & porch permits peak in September (186 against an average month of 100, about 16% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (24). That is from 245 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule porch and deck work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 91 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the deck & porch chart →

When is the busiest season for remodeling contractors in Ames?

March: Ames remodel & repair permits peak in March (151 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (45). That is from 215 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 97 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the remodel & repair chart →

When is the busiest season for home builders in Ames?

August: Ames new home permits peak in August (199 against an average month of 100, about 17% of a year's filings); July is the quietest (22). That is from 163 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, July has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 263 days from issue to sign-off. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month.

Most active contractors in Ames, last 12 months

Top 10 by permits pulled in the last 12 months, all trades. This is volume, not quality: a busy firm is not a careful one. Pick what you value on the compare page to build a ranking.

Contractor	Trades	Last 12 mo	All permits
C and K Inc	HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing	309	924
Draintech	HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing	155	456
Neighbors Heating & Cooling	HVAC, Water Heater	152	344
One Hour Heating & Air	HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing	149	510
Akd Plumbing LC	HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing	106	207
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing	HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing	75	77
Golden Rule Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical	HVAC, Water Heater, Electrical, Plumbing	47	99
Converse Conditioned Air	HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing	40	117
Ames Heating & Cooling	HVAC	39	130
Watson Plumbing	Water Heater, Plumbing	38	107

Permits by ZIP code

Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 7 kinds of home work we track. All 2 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.

ZIP code	Permits	Share	Top trade	Usual home value
50010	3,190	58%	HVAC	$290,000
50014	2,327	42%	HVAC	$321,000

Ames ZIP codes →

How these numbers are made

Source: City of Ames residential permits (one record per permit). The window is October 2023 through September 2026; a permit filed after that isn't here yet.

A filed value is what the contractor wrote on the permit when they applied. It is not a quote and not the final bill.

Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits, and one permit can cover several visits.

Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Ames →

Common questions

How many building permits does Ames issue a year?About 1,839 a year for the 7 kinds of home work we track (5,518 permits over 36 months, October 2023 through September 2026); 2,129 in the last 12 months. That is not the city's count of every permit: it covers HVAC, water heater, electrical, plumbing, deck & porch, remodel & repair, new home, not commercial work or trades we don't read.
When should you schedule work in Ames?If you can choose, book in a quiet month at the permit counter: for HVAC work, March (busiest July); for water heater replacement, August (busiest July); for electrical work, December (busiest October). Each trade has its own season; the questions above give every trade we track, with the usual days to sign-off.
Who are the most active contractors in Ames?By permits pulled in the last 12 months: C and K Inc (309); Draintech (155); Neighbors Heating & Cooling (152). That is volume, not quality: compare finished share and filed values before you hire.
Which trade pulls the most permits in Ames?HVAC: 1,733 permits from 50 firms.
What is the busiest month for permits in Ames?July, counting every trade. February is the quietest. The chart above shows each trade; they do not all peak together.
How many contractors are active in Ames?341 distinct business names appear on the file; 226 of them pulled at least one permit in the last 12 months.
Where does this data come from?City of Ames residential permits (one record per permit), read October 2026. How the records work in Ames →

How long permits take in Ames →Ames permits by ZIP code →Compare Ames HVAC contractors →Compare Ames water heater contractors →Compare Ames electrical contractors →Compare Ames plumbing contractors →All Ames trades →

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Ames, IA building permit statistics