The usual Austin permit takes 110 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout, across all 10 kinds of work on file (87,588 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). The usual electrical permit, the biggest trade here, takes 76 days. Remodel & Repair is quickest at 67 days; backyard unit (ADU) the slowest at 405 days. This is the turnaround 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 city to approve it. Austin's file we read does not carry a usable application date, so we don't guess at it. Ask the permit office for its current review times.
Finishing the work (measured here): issue → completion. The day the city issued the permit to the day it recorded a final inspection or closeout. That is the contractor's part: doing the work and getting it signed off.
What “finished” means in Austin: For contractors with at least 5 permits a year or more old, the share that reached completion.
Speed: How long their permits take from issue to completion, using the city's completion dates, compared with other Austin contractors in the trade. Shown for firms with 10+ permits.
Usual is the middle permit: half finish sooner, half later. Finished is the share of permits a year or more old that the city closed out.
| Trade | Permits | Usual days to finish | Finished | Firms with 10+ permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 24,726 | 76 | 90.6% | 360 |
| Plumbing | 23,406 | 75 | 87.1% | 290 |
| HVAC | 18,237 | 118 | 80.4% | 184 |
| Remodel & Repair | 7,109 | 67 | 82.9% | 73 |
| New Home | 4,352 | 356 | 82.3% | 69 |
| Home Addition | 3,209 | 238 | 86.8% | 35 |
| Driveway & Sidewalk | 2,137 | 69 | 98.7% | 24 |
| Swimming Pool | 2,022 | 300 | 79.2% | 32 |
| Demolition | 1,925 | 133 | 83.2% | 27 |
| Backyard Unit (ADU) | 465 | 405 | 79.6% | 2 |
Each trade on its own, from issue to the city's sign-off. The spread between the quickest and slowest quarter of firms is the part you can choose.
The usual electrical permit in Austin takes 76 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (24,726 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 90.6% of electrical permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.3 months, the slowest quarter in 3.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
350 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin electrical contractors →
The usual plumbing permit in Austin takes 75 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (23,406 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 87.1% of plumbing permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.7 months, the slowest quarter in 4.4 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
271 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin plumbing contractors →
The usual HVAC permit in Austin takes 118 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (18,237 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 80.4% of HVAC permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.3 months, the slowest quarter in 5.7 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
174 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin HVAC contractors →
The usual remodel & repair permit in Austin takes 67 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (7,109 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 82.9% of remodel & repair permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.1 months, the slowest quarter in 2.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
63 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin remodel & repair contractors →
The usual new home permit in Austin takes 356 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (4,352 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 82.3% of new home permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 5.7 months, the slowest quarter in 10.9 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
49 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin new home contractors →
The usual home addition permit in Austin takes 238 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (3,209 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 86.8% of home addition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 4.2 months, the slowest quarter in 7.4 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
32 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin home addition contractors →
The usual driveway & sidewalk permit in Austin takes 69 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (2,137 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 98.7% of driveway & sidewalk permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 2 months, the slowest quarter in 3.2 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
23 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin driveway & sidewalk contractors →
The usual swimming pool permit in Austin takes 300 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (2,022 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 79.2% of swimming pool permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 5.8 months, the slowest quarter in 10.3 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
28 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin swimming pool contractors →
The usual demolition permit in Austin takes 133 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,925 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 83.2% of demolition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 3.1 months, the slowest quarter in 5.4 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
24 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin demolition contractors →
The usual backyard unit (ADU) permit in Austin takes 405 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (465 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 79.6% of backyard unit (ADU) permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 8.1 months, the slowest quarter in 10.2 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Austin's file.
2 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Austin backyard unit (ADU) contractors →
Source: City of Austin issued construction permits. 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 Austin →
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