27,300 permits from 1,984 contractors across 12 kinds of work in the City of Cleveland, October 2023 through September 2026: about 9,100 a year. Plumbing is the biggest trade with 5,315 permits. The busiest month for filings is October.
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 | 5,315 | 296 | 172 | $2,500 | 58.7% | 234 | March |
| Roofing | 4,923 | 586 | 298 | $10,500 | 78.0% | 91 | October |
| HVAC | 4,916 | 235 | 144 | $5,706 | 81.1% | 142 | December |
| Electrical | 4,049 | 361 | 225 | $3,000 | 64.5% | 146 | October |
| Windows & Doors | 2,938 | 236 | 116 | $5,900 | 75.5% | 140 | June |
| Demolition | 1,572 | 120 | 59 | $9,000 | 93.0% | 42 | April |
| Remodel & Repair | 1,443 | 556 | 236 | $17,465 | 57.5% | 391 | July |
| Fence | 890 | 79 | 24 | $4,242 | 74.9% | 168 | May |
| Siding | 451 | 148 | 64 | $13,866 | 74.7% | 159 | July |
| New Home | 343 | 65 | 28 | $250,000 | 82.1% | 344 | September |
| Garage | 303 | 94 | 49 | $22,275 | 82.6% | 139 | October |
| Solar | 157 | 25 | 12 | $13,578 | 70.9% | 185 | 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 12 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Cleveland issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 18,715 | 9,358 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 8,585 | 8,585 |
Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 8 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.
5,315 permits · busiest March, quietest January
4,923 permits · busiest October, quietest January
4,916 permits · busiest December, quietest January
4,049 permits · busiest October, quietest January
2,938 permits · busiest June, quietest January
1,572 permits · busiest April, quietest June
1,443 permits · busiest July, quietest January
890 permits · busiest May, quietest January
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 70 | 105 | 129 | 110 | 94 | 95 | 113 | 88 | 98 | 96 | 100 | 103 |
| Roofing | 35 | 46 | 95 | 102 | 119 | 121 | 129 | 121 | 126 | 135 | 114 | 58 |
| HVAC | 72 | 104 | 112 | 114 | 81 | 94 | 101 | 101 | 92 | 104 | 106 | 119 |
| Electrical | 71 | 95 | 112 | 106 | 105 | 87 | 107 | 104 | 102 | 123 | 97 | 92 |
| Windows & Doors | 36 | 81 | 93 | 105 | 101 | 131 | 115 | 107 | 105 | 120 | 120 | 87 |
| Demolition | 72 | 91 | 121 | 131 | 80 | 69 | 97 | 94 | 123 | 107 | 98 | 117 |
| Remodel & Repair | 60 | 91 | 106 | 102 | 98 | 86 | 124 | 122 | 120 | 113 | 90 | 88 |
| Fence | 26 | 55 | 71 | 117 | 145 | 145 | 113 | 121 | 110 | 145 | 93 | 60 |
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.
March: Cleveland plumbing permits peak in March (129 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (70). That is from 5,315 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 234 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: Cleveland roofing permits peak in October (135 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (35). That is from 4,923 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule roofing work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 91 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 roofing chart →
December: Cleveland HVAC permits peak in December (119 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (72). That is from 4,916 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 142 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: Cleveland electrical permits peak in October (123 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (71). That is from 4,049 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 146 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 →
June: Cleveland windows & doors permits peak in June (131 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (36). That is from 2,938 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule window replacement, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 140 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 windows & doors chart →
April: Cleveland demolition permits peak in April (131 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); June is the quietest (69). That is from 1,572 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, June 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. See the demolition chart →
July: Cleveland remodel & repair permits peak in July (124 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (60). That is from 1,443 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 391 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 →
May: Cleveland fence permits peak in May (145 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (26). That is from 890 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule fence installation, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 168 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 fence chart →
July: Cleveland siding permits peak in July (143 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (26). That is from 451 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule siding work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 159 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: Cleveland new home permits peak in September (220 against an average month of 100, about 18% of a year's filings); April is the quietest (31). That is from 343 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, April has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 344 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: Cleveland garage permits peak in October (170 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (16). That is from 303 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 139 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: Cleveland solar permits peak in October (222 against an average month of 100, about 18% of a year's filings); April is the quietest (23). That is from 157 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, April has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 185 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sal's Heating & Cooling Inc. | Plumbing, HVAC | 211 | 593 |
| Window Nation LLC | Roofing, Windows & Doors | 167 | 414 |
| H. Jack's Plumbing & Heating Co of Mentor, Inc. | Plumbing, HVAC | 146 | 445 |
| New Phoenix Enterprise Inc. | Plumbing | 131 | 387 |
| Northlake Plumbing LLC. | Plumbing, HVAC | 129 | 273 |
| By-Tor Contracting Inc. | Roofing, Windows & Doors | 122 | 341 |
| Great Day Improvements, LLC | Roofing, Windows & Doors, Remodel & Repair, Siding | 116 | 126 |
| Aba Builders LLC | Roofing, Windows & Doors, Remodel & Repair, Siding | 114 | 276 |
| B.B.C. Electric Co, Inc. | Electrical, New Home | 111 | 403 |
| Third Estimate Corporation | Roofing, Windows & Doors, Siding | 108 | 270 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 12 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44111 | 3,429 | 13% | Roofing | $124,000 |
| 44102 | 2,987 | 11% | Plumbing | $94,000 |
| 44109 | 2,529 | 9% | Roofing | $118,000 |
| 44135 | 2,383 | 9% | Roofing | $122,000 |
| 44105 | 2,143 | 8% | Plumbing | $54,000 |
| 44120 | 1,938 | 7% | HVAC | $62,000 |
| 44128 | 1,601 | 6% | Plumbing | $81,000 |
| 44108 | 1,493 | 5% | Plumbing | $49,000 |
| 44110 | 1,481 | 5% | Plumbing | $60,000 |
| 44113 | 1,428 | 5% | HVAC | $295,000 |
Source: City of Cleveland building permits. 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 Cleveland →
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