6,867 permits from 342 contractors across 8 kinds of work in the City of Bismarck, October 2023 through September 2026: about 2,289 a year. Furnace & AC Replacement is the biggest trade with 2,098 permits. The busiest month for filings is August.
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 | Finished | Days to finish | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace & AC Replacement | 2,098 | 23 | 19 | $4,435 | 24.5% | — | July |
| Electrical | 1,669 | 77 | 56 | — | 83.9% | 233 | August |
| Plumbing | 844 | 44 | 32 | $15,936 | 81.7% | 277 | October |
| HVAC Install | 751 | 40 | 30 | $17,500 | 90.3% | 142 | October |
| New Home | 708 | 70 | 48 | $310,726 | 75.4% | 351 | July |
| Remodel & Addition | 323 | 113 | 49 | $18,687 | 72.7% | 272 | August |
| Fireplace & Stove | 283 | 10 | 5 | $4,000 | 77.8% | 146 | October |
| Deck | 191 | 78 | 35 | $3,024 | 85.8% | 58 | July |
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 8 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Bismarck issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 4,463 | 2,232 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 2,404 | 2,404 |
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.
2,098 permits · busiest July, quietest March
1,669 permits · busiest August, quietest January
844 permits · busiest October, quietest February
751 permits · busiest October, quietest December
708 permits · busiest July, quietest December
323 permits · busiest August, quietest January
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furnace & AC Replacement | 108 | 89 | 68 | 89 | 84 | 116 | 125 | 111 | 104 | 115 | 88 | 105 |
| Electrical | 54 | 59 | 79 | 90 | 126 | 129 | 131 | 137 | 124 | 116 | 83 | 70 |
| Plumbing | 24 | 17 | 27 | 97 | 98 | 136 | 146 | 154 | 152 | 208 | 112 | 28 |
| HVAC Install | 106 | 78 | 110 | 83 | 80 | 83 | 101 | 123 | 118 | 136 | 110 | 72 |
| New Home | 37 | 44 | 107 | 115 | 168 | 83 | 171 | 171 | 154 | 90 | 54 | 5 |
| Remodel & Addition | 48 | 59 | 89 | 112 | 149 | 123 | 82 | 171 | 134 | 104 | 78 | 52 |
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.
July: Bismarck furnace & AC replacement permits peak in July (125 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (68). That is from 2,098 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule furnace and AC replacement work, March has the fewest filings. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the furnace & AC replacement chart →
August: Bismarck electrical permits peak in August (137 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (54). That is from 1,669 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 233 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 →
October: Bismarck plumbing permits peak in October (208 against an average month of 100, about 17% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (17). That is from 844 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 277 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 →
October: Bismarck HVAC install permits peak in October (136 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (72). That is from 751 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 142 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 install chart →
July: Bismarck new home permits peak in July (171 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (5). That is from 708 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 351 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 new home chart →
August: Bismarck remodel & addition permits peak in August (171 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (48). That is from 323 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 272 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 & addition chart →
October: Bismarck fireplace & stove permits peak in October (127 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); August is the quietest (64). That is from 283 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule fireplace and stove work, August has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 146 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.
July: Bismarck deck permits peak in July (214 against an average month of 100, about 18% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (6). That is from 191 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a deck build, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 58 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck Heating & Air Conditioning | Furnace & AC Replacement, HVAC Install, Fireplace & Stove | 335 | 975 |
| Advanced Mechanical Inc. | Furnace & AC Replacement, Plumbing, HVAC Install | 130 | 370 |
| Northern Plains Heating & Air | Furnace & AC Replacement, HVAC Install | 113 | 332 |
| Oztech, LLC | Electrical | 102 | 280 |
| H. A. Thompson & Sons Inc | Furnace & AC Replacement, Plumbing, HVAC Install | 101 | 287 |
| RK Electric LLC | Electrical | 94 | 169 |
| T & M Electric | Electrical | 83 | 243 |
| Keller Hearth'n Home Products | HVAC Install, Fireplace & Stove | 65 | 174 |
| Redline Plumbing Heating & Air | Plumbing | 60 | 163 |
| Cooling & Heating Unlimited Inc | Furnace & AC Replacement, Plumbing, HVAC Install | 49 | 228 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 8 kinds of home work we track. All 3 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
Source: City of Bismarck TRAKiT building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits on homes. 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 Bismarck →
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