Cambridge, MA building permit statistics

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.

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 11 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Cambridge issues.

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.

When Cambridge 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.

Most active contractors in Cambridge, 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.

Permits by ZIP code

Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 11 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.

Cambridge ZIP codes →

Common questions

• How many building permits does Cambridge issue a year?About 5,093 a year for the 11 kinds of home work we track (15,278 permits over 36 months, October 2023 through September 2026); 4,969 in the last 12 months. That is not the city's count of every permit: it covers electrical, remodel, addition & alteration, plumbing, gas fitting, HVAC & sheet metal, roofing, solar, demolition, fire sprinkler, new construction, siding, not commercial work or trades we don't read.
• When should you schedule work in Cambridge?If you can choose, book in a quiet month at the permit counter: for electrical work, August (busiest September); for a home remodel, September (busiest October); for plumbing work, May (busiest July). 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 Cambridge?By permits pulled in the last 12 months: Homeworks Energy (77); David M Patenaude (62); Joseph P Barrell (52). That is volume, not quality: compare finished share and filed values before you hire.
• Which trade pulls the most permits in Cambridge?Electrical: 3,820 permits from 1,038 firms, with a usual filed value of $3,800.
• What is the busiest month for permits in Cambridge?October, counting every trade. December is the quietest. The chart above shows each trade; they do not all peak together.
• How many contractors are active in Cambridge?4,266 distinct business names appear on the file; 2,054 of them pulled at least one permit in the last 12 months.
• How many permits get finished?For electrical, 71.7% of permits a year or more old were closed out by the city. How long permits take in Cambridge →
• Where does this data come from?City of Cambridge Inspectional Services permits (the city's per-type open-data permit files), read October 2026. How the records work in Cambridge →