15,821 permits from 1,752 contractors across 9 kinds of work in the City of Cincinnati, October 2023 through September 2026: about 5,274 a year. Plumbing is the biggest trade with 6,119 permits. The busiest month for filings is August.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 6,119 | 258 | 170 | $3,500 | 85.7% | 90 | August |
| HVAC | 5,741 | 385 | 207 | $8,365 | 67.3% | 278 | October |
| Remodel & Alteration | 2,075 | 853 | 382 | $17,856 | 66.2% | 340 | August |
| Structural Repair | 597 | 336 | 111 | $10,000 | 55.8% | 353 | October |
| New Home | 407 | 122 | 54 | $204,000 | 44.4% | 660 | February |
| Addition | 266 | 182 | 76 | $100,000 | 55.3% | 443 | June |
| Demolition | 260 | 69 | 33 | $15,000 | 88.5% | 268 | August |
| Retaining Wall | 245 | 145 | 51 | $15,000 | 74.9% | 501 | June |
| Garage & Shed | 111 | 80 | 27 | $20,000 | 77.3% | 332 | October |
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 9 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Cincinnati issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 10,718 | 5,359 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 5,103 | 5,103 |
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.
6,119 permits · busiest August, quietest September
5,741 permits · busiest October, quietest September
2,075 permits · busiest August, quietest December
597 permits · busiest October, quietest June
407 permits · busiest February, quietest June
266 permits · busiest June, quietest February
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 106 | 94 | 98 | 111 | 110 | 84 | 94 | 125 | 78 | 103 | 96 | 100 |
| HVAC | 103 | 93 | 91 | 84 | 82 | 85 | 125 | 110 | 78 | 140 | 102 | 107 |
| Remodel & Alteration | 98 | 84 | 81 | 106 | 92 | 103 | 112 | 134 | 118 | 104 | 90 | 79 |
| Structural Repair | 101 | 99 | 99 | 109 | 109 | 72 | 85 | 82 | 101 | 130 | 128 | 85 |
| New Home | 148 | 154 | 71 | 111 | 68 | 63 | 100 | 137 | 80 | 86 | 88 | 94 |
| Addition | 63 | 54 | 85 | 135 | 112 | 144 | 121 | 112 | 112 | 117 | 67 | 76 |
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.
August: Cincinnati plumbing permits peak in August (125 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (78). That is from 6,119 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 90 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 →
October: Cincinnati HVAC permits peak in October (140 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (78). That is from 5,741 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 278 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 →
August: Cincinnati remodel & alteration permits peak in August (134 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (79). That is from 2,075 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 340 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 & alteration chart →
October: Cincinnati structural repair permits peak in October (130 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); June is the quietest (72). That is from 597 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule structural repair work, June has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 353 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 structural repair chart →
February: Cincinnati new home permits peak in February (154 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); June is the quietest (63). That is from 407 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, June has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 660 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 →
June: Cincinnati addition permits peak in June (144 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (54). That is from 266 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 443 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 addition chart →
August: Cincinnati demolition permits peak in August (170 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); April is the quietest (51). That is from 260 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, April has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 268 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: Cincinnati retaining wall permits peak in June (165 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (53). That is from 245 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule retaining wall work, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 501 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: Cincinnati garage & shed permits peak in October (140 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (32). That is from 111 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule garage construction, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 332 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Heating & A/C | HVAC | 307 | 871 |
| Recker and Boerger | Plumbing, HVAC | 260 | 772 |
| People Working Cooperatively | Plumbing, HVAC, Remodel & Alteration, Structural Repair, Demolition | 206 | 664 |
| Help Home Services | HVAC, Structural Repair | 162 | 502 |
| Apollo Heating, Air Cond. & Plumbing | Plumbing, HVAC | 159 | 517 |
| Thomas & Galbraith | Plumbing, HVAC | 125 | 152 |
| Logan Services | Plumbing, HVAC | 121 | 348 |
| Help Home Service Inc | Plumbing, HVAC | 100 | 289 |
| Zins Plumbing | Plumbing | 93 | 233 |
| Ohio Basement Authority | Plumbing, Remodel & Alteration, Structural Repair | 92 | 259 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 9 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 28 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
| ZIP code | Permits | Share | Top trade | Usual home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45208 | 1,939 | 12% | Plumbing | $560,000 |
| 45209 | 1,079 | 7% | Plumbing | $301,000 |
| 45227 | 838 | 5% | Plumbing | $183,000 |
| 45206 | 802 | 5% | Plumbing | $268,000 |
| 45211 | 770 | 5% | HVAC | $148,000 |
| 45224 | 742 | 5% | Plumbing | $164,000 |
| 45205 | 722 | 5% | HVAC | $103,000 |
| 45213 | 710 | 4% | Plumbing | $217,000 |
| 45230 | 705 | 4% | Plumbing | $207,000 |
| 45223 | 704 | 4% | Plumbing | $197,000 |
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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