The usual Cary permit takes 36 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout, across all 16 kinds of work on file (23,394 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). The usual HVAC permit, the biggest trade here, takes 29 days. Plumbing is quickest at 10 days; pool & hot tub the slowest at 362 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. Cary'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 Cary: For contractors with at least 5 permits a year or more old, the share that passed final inspection, compared with permits of the same trade issued in the same quarter.
Speed: How long their permits take to pass final inspection, using the town's dates, compared with other Cary 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 9,909 | 29 | 78.2% | 111 |
| EV Charger | 2,922 | 17 | 94.7% | 51 |
| Remodel & Repair | 1,857 | 84 | 88.0% | 20 |
| Water Heater | 1,519 | 16 | 92.7% | 26 |
| Electrical | 1,455 | 41 | 73.7% | 25 |
| Deck, Porch & Sunroom | 1,278 | 75 | 88.4% | 16 |
| New Home | 1,087 | 176 | 98.9% | 11 |
| Plumbing | 827 | 10 | 91.7% | 9 |
| Foundation & Crawl Space | 621 | 66 | 75.2% | 12 |
| Solar | 600 | 45 | 87.7% | 6 |
| Addition | 303 | 196 | 85.1% | 0 |
| Gas Line | 264 | 27 | 90.0% | 3 |
| Pool & Hot Tub | 204 | 362 | 70.0% | 4 |
| Irrigation | 198 | 42 | 63.7% | 5 |
| Generator | 196 | 67 | 92.6% | 4 |
| Demolition | 154 | 73 | 92.8% | 4 |
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 HVAC permit in Cary takes 29 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (9,909 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 78.2% of HVAC permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.6 months, the slowest quarter in 1 month. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
96 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary HVAC contractors →
The usual EV charger permit in Cary takes 17 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (2,922 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 94.7% of EV charger permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.5 months, the slowest quarter in 0.7 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
51 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary EV charger contractors →
The usual remodel & repair permit in Cary takes 84 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,857 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 88.0% of remodel & repair permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.2 months, the slowest quarter in 3.5 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
18 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary remodel & repair contractors →
The usual water heater permit in Cary takes 16 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,519 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 92.7% of water heater permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.4 months, the slowest quarter in 0.7 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
24 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary water heater contractors →
The usual electrical permit in Cary takes 41 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,455 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 73.7% of electrical 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 0.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
17 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary electrical contractors →
The usual deck, porch & sunroom permit in Cary takes 75 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,278 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 88.4% of deck, porch & sunroom permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.6 months, the slowest quarter in 1.9 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
15 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary deck, porch & sunroom contractors →
The usual new home permit in Cary takes 176 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,087 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 98.9% of new home permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
The usual plumbing permit in Cary takes 10 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (827 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 91.7% of plumbing permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.2 months, the slowest quarter in 0.4 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
9 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary plumbing contractors →
The usual foundation & crawl space permit in Cary takes 66 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (621 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 75.2% of foundation & crawl space permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.9 months, the slowest quarter in 5 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
10 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary foundation & crawl space contractors →
The usual solar permit in Cary takes 45 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (600 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 87.7% of solar permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.8 months, the slowest quarter in 1.9 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
6 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary solar contractors →
The usual addition permit in Cary takes 196 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (303 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 85.1% of addition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
The usual gas line permit in Cary takes 27 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (264 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 90.0% of gas line permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
The usual pool & hot tub permit in Cary takes 362 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (204 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 70.0% of pool & hot tub permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 10.6 months, the slowest quarter in 19.6 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
3 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary pool & hot tub contractors →
The usual irrigation permit in Cary takes 42 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (198 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 63.7% of irrigation permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1 month, the slowest quarter in 1.4 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
4 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary irrigation contractors →
The usual generator permit in Cary takes 67 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (196 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 92.6% of generator permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 2 months, the slowest quarter in 2.1 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
4 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary generator contractors →
The usual demolition permit in Cary takes 73 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (154 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 92.8% of demolition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 2.2 months, the slowest quarter in 2.5 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cary's file.
3 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cary demolition contractors →
Source: Town of Cary building permit applications (issued permits only). 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 Cary →
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