The usual Chicago permit takes 317 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout, across all 13 kinds of work on file (51,700 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). The usual electrical permit, the biggest trade here, takes 235 days. Solar is quickest at 57 days; interior remodel the slowest at 1,244 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. Chicago'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 Chicago: For contractors with at least 5 permits a year or more old, the share that reached completion.
Speed: An estimate of how quickly their permits are marked complete, based on permit status and age. Many Chicago permits are never marked complete, so treat it as rough. Shown for firms with 20+ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 12,436 | 235 | 38.2% | 228 |
| Renovation | 7,764 | 666 | 35.6% | 117 |
| Plumbing | 6,680 | 705 | 26.7% | 169 |
| Masonry & Tuckpointing | 5,706 | 391 | 41.0% | 157 |
| HVAC | 5,358 | 1,099 | 21.2% | 132 |
| Solar | 5,027 | 57 | 74.3% | 32 |
| Garage | 1,821 | 106 | 66.3% | 16 |
| Roofing | 1,586 | 207 | 69.7% | 26 |
| Fence | 1,583 | 160 | 84.3% | 16 |
| Interior Remodel | 1,355 | 1,244 | 12.1% | 8 |
| New Home | 1,090 | 621 | 38.7% | 21 |
| Porch & Deck | 797 | 145 | 40.2% | 6 |
| Windows & Doors | 497 | 227 | 55.7% | 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 electrical permit in Chicago takes 235 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (12,436 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 38.2% of electrical permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
The usual renovation permit in Chicago takes 666 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (7,764 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 35.6% of renovation permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
The usual plumbing permit in Chicago takes 705 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (6,680 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 26.7% of plumbing permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 4.4 months, the slowest quarter in 31 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
79 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago plumbing contractors →
The usual masonry & tuckpointing permit in Chicago takes 391 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (5,706 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 41.0% of masonry & tuckpointing permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 6.9 months, the slowest quarter in 16.6 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
74 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago masonry & tuckpointing contractors →
The usual HVAC permit in Chicago takes 1,099 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (5,358 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 21.2% of HVAC permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 20.4 months, the slowest quarter in 46.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
55 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago HVAC contractors →
The usual solar permit in Chicago takes 57 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (5,027 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 74.3% of solar 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 2.3 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
25 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago solar contractors →
The usual garage permit in Chicago takes 106 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,821 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 66.3% of garage permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.5 months, the slowest quarter in 2.6 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
12 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago garage contractors →
The usual roofing permit in Chicago takes 207 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,586 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 69.7% of roofing permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 5.3 months, the slowest quarter in 7.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
14 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago roofing contractors →
The usual fence permit in Chicago takes 160 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,583 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 84.3% of fence permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 4.4 months, the slowest quarter in 5.9 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
12 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago fence contractors →
The usual interior remodel permit in Chicago takes 1,244 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,355 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 12.1% of interior remodel permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
The usual new home permit in Chicago takes 621 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,090 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 38.7% of new home permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 14.1 months, the slowest quarter in 14.2 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
3 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago new home contractors →
The usual porch & deck permit in Chicago takes 145 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (797 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 40.2% of porch & deck permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 2 months, the slowest quarter in 6.1 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
4 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Chicago porch & deck contractors →
The usual windows & doors permit in Chicago takes 227 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (497 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 55.7% of windows & doors permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Chicago's file.
Source: City of Chicago building permits (Chicago Data Portal). 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 Chicago →
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