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 | 9,909 | 372 | 249 | $9,891 | 78.2% | 29 | June |
| EV Charger | 2,922 | 244 | 134 | $1,104 | 94.7% | 17 | October |
| Remodel & Repair | 1,857 | 626 | 325 | $40,000 | 88.0% | 84 | April |
| Water Heater | 1,519 | 117 | 74 | $4,253 | 92.7% | 16 | January |
| Electrical | 1,455 | 279 | 158 | $2,117 | 73.7% | 41 | July |
| Deck, Porch & Sunroom | 1,278 | 435 | 203 | $32,500 | 88.4% | 75 | October |
| New Home | 1,087 | 79 | 39 | $359,500 | 98.9% | 176 | July |
| Plumbing | 827 | 106 | 62 | $5,512 | 91.7% | 10 | September |
| Foundation & Crawl Space | 621 | 69 | 40 | $12,083 | 75.2% | 66 | June |
| Solar | 600 | 37 | 21 | $30,900 | 87.7% | 45 | November |
| Addition | 303 | 193 | 77 | $125,000 | 85.1% | 196 | April |
| Gas Line | 264 | 107 | 45 | $1,691 | 90.0% | 27 | May |
| Pool & Hot Tub | 204 | 73 | 33 | $137,000 | 70.0% | 362 | October |
| Irrigation | 198 | 46 | 25 | $8,778 | 63.7% | 42 | July |
| Generator | 196 | 60 | 20 | $15,000 | 92.6% | 67 | September |
| Demolition | 154 | 58 | 29 | $21,750 | 92.8% | 73 | June |
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 16 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Cary issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 15,378 | 7,689 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 8,016 | 8,016 |
Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 10 biggest trades (every trade with 500 or more permits), 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.
9,909 permits · busiest June, quietest February
2,922 permits · busiest October, quietest March
1,857 permits · busiest April, quietest December
1,519 permits · busiest January, quietest September
1,455 permits · busiest July, quietest December
1,278 permits · busiest October, quietest December
1,087 permits · busiest July, quietest November
827 permits · busiest September, quietest March
621 permits · busiest June, quietest December
600 permits · busiest November, quietest March
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 66 | 65 | 83 | 119 | 118 | 142 | 140 | 110 | 91 | 96 | 87 | 82 |
| EV Charger | 105 | 88 | 85 | 92 | 91 | 102 | 100 | 112 | 118 | 118 | 89 | 101 |
| Remodel & Repair | 107 | 107 | 119 | 126 | 106 | 90 | 118 | 90 | 82 | 116 | 78 | 61 |
| Water Heater | 131 | 96 | 102 | 89 | 95 | 108 | 99 | 72 | 69 | 126 | 101 | 113 |
| Electrical | 101 | 90 | 96 | 103 | 111 | 106 | 116 | 97 | 109 | 101 | 90 | 79 |
| Deck, Porch & Sunroom | 87 | 84 | 91 | 95 | 96 | 106 | 97 | 125 | 111 | 162 | 87 | 59 |
| New Home | 118 | 134 | 66 | 135 | 113 | 95 | 147 | 86 | 88 | 103 | 52 | 64 |
| Plumbing | 104 | 81 | 68 | 116 | 109 | 100 | 126 | 116 | 136 | 97 | 70 | 76 |
| Foundation & Crawl Space | 106 | 83 | 112 | 77 | 85 | 156 | 114 | 112 | 85 | 137 | 70 | 62 |
| Solar | 84 | 56 | 50 | 70 | 58 | 102 | 84 | 120 | 142 | 162 | 166 | 106 |
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.
June: Cary HVAC permits peak in June (142 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (65). That is from 9,909 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 29 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 chart →
October: Cary EV charger permits peak in October (118 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (85). That is from 2,922 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule EV charger installation, March has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 17 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 EV charger chart →
April: Cary remodel & repair permits peak in April (126 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (61). That is from 1,857 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 84 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 →
January: Cary water heater permits peak in January (131 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (69). That is from 1,519 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule water heater replacement, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 16 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: Cary electrical permits peak in July (116 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (79). That is from 1,455 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical 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 electrical chart →
October: Cary deck, porch & sunroom permits peak in October (162 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (59). That is from 1,278 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule porch and deck work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 75 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 deck, porch & sunroom chart →
July: Cary new home permits peak in July (147 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (52). That is from 1,087 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 176 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 →
September: Cary plumbing permits peak in September (136 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (68). That is from 827 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, March has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 10 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 →
June: Cary foundation & crawl space permits peak in June (156 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (62). That is from 621 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule foundation work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 66 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 foundation & crawl space chart →
November: Cary solar permits peak in November (166 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (50). That is from 600 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, March has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 45 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 chart →
April: Cary addition permits peak in April (143 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (67). That is from 303 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 196 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: Cary gas line permits peak in May (136 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); August is the quietest (50). That is from 264 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule gas line work, August has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 27 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.
October: Cary pool & hot tub permits peak in October (147 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); April is the quietest (59). That is from 204 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a pool build, April has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 362 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: Cary irrigation permits peak in July (164 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (30). That is from 198 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule irrigation work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 42 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.
September: Cary generator permits peak in September (196 against an average month of 100, about 16% of a year's filings); October is the quietest (55). That is from 196 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule generator installation, October has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 67 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.
June: Cary demolition permits peak in June (203 against an average month of 100, about 17% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (47). That is from 154 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 73 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Experts Heating, Co | HVAC, Remodel & Repair, Water Heater, Electrical, Deck, Porch & Sunroom, Plumbing, Gas Line | 405 | 1,233 |
| A. Maynor Heating | HVAC, EV Charger, Remodel & Repair, Water Heater, Electrical, Deck, Porch & Sunroom, Gas Line, Generator | 268 | 730 |
| Triad Electrical Serv | EV Charger, Water Heater, Electrical | 234 | 733 |
| American Residential | HVAC, Remodel & Repair, Water Heater, Deck, Porch & Sunroom, Plumbing, Gas Line | 226 | 694 |
| Michael & Son Services | HVAC, Remodel & Repair, Water Heater, Electrical, Deck, Porch & Sunroom, Plumbing, Gas Line, Generator | 219 | 623 |
| Cary Plumbing Co. | Remodel & Repair, Water Heater, Plumbing, Addition, Gas Line, Irrigation, Generator | 198 | 562 |
| Mandolin HVAC & Construction | HVAC, Remodel & Repair, Water Heater, Electrical, Deck, Porch & Sunroom, Gas Line | 194 | 488 |
| Allen Kelly & Company Inc | HVAC, Remodel & Repair, Water Heater, Deck, Porch & Sunroom, Gas Line | 120 | 368 |
| Element Service Group Mech LLC | HVAC, Gas Line | 105 | 176 |
| Triangle Electric | EV Charger, Electrical | 99 | 430 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 16 kinds of home work we track. All 7 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
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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