The usual Cincinnati permit takes 210 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout, across all 9 kinds of work on file (15,821 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). The usual plumbing permit, the biggest trade here, takes 90 days. Plumbing is also the quickest trade here; new home the slowest at 660 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. Cincinnati'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 Cincinnati: For contractors with at least 5 permits a year or more old, the share that reached a final inspection.
Speed: How long their permits take from issue to completion, using the city's completion dates, compared with other Cincinnati 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 6,119 | 90 | 85.7% | 105 |
| HVAC | 5,741 | 278 | 67.3% | 55 |
| Remodel & Alteration | 2,075 | 340 | 66.2% | 25 |
| Structural Repair | 597 | 353 | 55.8% | 3 |
| New Home | 407 | 660 | 44.4% | 7 |
| Addition | 266 | 443 | 55.3% | 1 |
| Demolition | 260 | 268 | 88.5% | 8 |
| Retaining Wall | 245 | 501 | 74.9% | 1 |
| Garage & Shed | 111 | 332 | 77.3% | 1 |
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 plumbing permit in Cincinnati takes 90 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (6,119 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 85.7% of plumbing 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 4 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
103 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cincinnati plumbing contractors →
The usual HVAC permit in Cincinnati takes 278 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (5,741 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 67.3% of HVAC permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 7.4 months, the slowest quarter in 13.3 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
49 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cincinnati HVAC contractors →
The usual remodel & alteration permit in Cincinnati takes 340 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (2,075 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 66.2% of remodel & alteration permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 4.8 months, the slowest quarter in 16 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
23 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cincinnati remodel & alteration contractors →
The usual structural repair permit in Cincinnati takes 353 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (597 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 55.8% of structural repair permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
The usual new home permit in Cincinnati takes 660 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (407 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 44.4% of new home permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 11.7 months, the slowest quarter in 13.4 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
4 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cincinnati new home contractors →
The usual addition permit in Cincinnati takes 443 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (266 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 55.3% of addition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
The usual demolition permit in Cincinnati takes 268 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (260 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 88.5% of demolition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 5.5 months, the slowest quarter in 10.2 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
8 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Cincinnati demolition contractors →
The usual retaining wall permit in Cincinnati takes 501 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (245 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 74.9% of retaining wall permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
The usual garage & shed permit in Cincinnati takes 332 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (111 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 77.3% of garage & shed permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Cincinnati's file.
Source: City of Cincinnati building permits (residential, Residential Code of Ohio). 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 Cincinnati →
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