12,984 permits from 1,598 contractors across 10 kinds of work in the City of Boulder, October 2023 through September 2026: about 4,328 a year. HVAC & Mechanical is the biggest trade with 4,460 permits. The busiest month for filings is July.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC & Mechanical | 4,460 | 324 | 205 | $10,572 | 69.6% | 76 | August |
| Roofing | 2,516 | 426 | 255 | $11,500 | 86.0% | 41 | June |
| Solar & Battery | 1,489 | 112 | 68 | $21,000 | 93.4% | 72 | July |
| Electrical | 1,330 | 355 | 180 | $2,835 | 75.2% | 55 | October |
| Water Heater | 1,267 | 125 | 78 | $3,518 | 50.1% | 137 | April |
| Remodel & Repair | 1,178 | 414 | 220 | $25,862 | 81.4% | 141 | July |
| Addition | 369 | 186 | 83 | $100,000 | 77.2% | 415 | May |
| Garage, ADU & Accessory Building | 142 | 88 | 43 | $90,500 | 93.2% | 411 | July |
| Demolition & Deconstruction | 117 | 58 | 29 | — | 77.1% | 340 | May |
| New Home | 116 | 53 | 20 | $850,000 | 67.1% | 532 | April |
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 10 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Boulder issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 7,963 | 3,982 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 5,021 | 5,021 |
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.
4,460 permits · busiest August, quietest February
2,516 permits · busiest June, quietest December
1,489 permits · busiest July, quietest December
1,330 permits · busiest October, quietest May
1,267 permits · busiest April, quietest July
1,178 permits · busiest July, quietest February
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC & Mechanical | 90 | 72 | 73 | 90 | 92 | 100 | 121 | 131 | 93 | 116 | 114 | 108 |
| Roofing | 64 | 77 | 97 | 121 | 124 | 126 | 123 | 101 | 117 | 111 | 87 | 52 |
| Solar & Battery | 80 | 84 | 97 | 94 | 82 | 117 | 141 | 105 | 112 | 135 | 84 | 68 |
| Electrical | 91 | 87 | 99 | 90 | 80 | 109 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 173 | 80 | 91 |
| Water Heater | 113 | 89 | 113 | 118 | 99 | 88 | 78 | 99 | 93 | 108 | 88 | 114 |
| Remodel & Repair | 87 | 78 | 86 | 107 | 119 | 100 | 142 | 98 | 112 | 103 | 79 | 88 |
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.
August: Boulder HVAC & mechanical permits peak in August (131 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (72). That is from 4,460 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 76 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 & mechanical chart →
June: Boulder roofing permits peak in June (126 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (52). That is from 2,516 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule roofing work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 41 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 roofing chart →
July: Boulder solar & battery permits peak in July (141 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (68). That is from 1,489 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 72 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 solar & battery chart →
October: Boulder electrical permits peak in October (173 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (80). That is from 1,330 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 55 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 →
April: Boulder water heater permits peak in April (118 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); July is the quietest (78). That is from 1,267 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule water heater replacement, July has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 137 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 →
July: Boulder remodel & repair permits peak in July (142 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (78). That is from 1,178 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 141 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 →
May: Boulder addition permits peak in May (130 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (70). That is from 369 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 415 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: Boulder garage, ADU & accessory building permits peak in July (183 against an average month of 100, about 15% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (67). That is from 142 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule garage and accessory building work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 411 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.
May: Boulder demolition & deconstruction permits peak in May (200 against an average month of 100, about 17% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (50). That is from 117 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 340 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.
April: Boulder new home permits peak in April (193 against an average month of 100, about 16% of a year's filings); October is the quietest (30). That is from 116 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, October has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 532 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save Home Heat Co Inc | HVAC & Mechanical, Electrical, Water Heater | 341 | 945 |
| Energy Transition Partners Inc | HVAC & Mechanical, Roofing, Solar & Battery, Electrical, Water Heater, Remodel & Repair | 171 | 335 |
| Namaste Solar Electric Inc | Roofing, Solar & Battery, Remodel & Repair | 136 | 280 |
| Meyers Heating and A/C | HVAC & Mechanical | 112 | 317 |
| Solid Mesa LLC dba Mesa Plumbing Heating & Cooling | HVAC & Mechanical, Water Heater | 106 | 116 |
| Planet Plumbing, Inc | HVAC & Mechanical, Water Heater | 91 | 291 |
| Bernie's Plumbing & Heating Co | HVAC & Mechanical, Water Heater | 84 | 190 |
| Precision Plumbing Heating Cooling & Electrical | HVAC & Mechanical, Solar & Battery, Electrical, Water Heater | 82 | 492 |
| Breakers Electric | HVAC & Mechanical, Electrical | 82 | 104 |
| Photon Brothers | Roofing, Solar & Battery | 76 | 160 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 10 kinds of home work we track. All 5 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
Source: City of Boulder 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. 67.6% of the 1,598 firms on the file match an active license at the City of Boulder's licensed contractors list; the match goes by name and can miss one.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Boulder →
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