The usual HVAC permit in Columbus, OH, the biggest trade with a completion date, takes 115 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (21,342 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). Basement Waterproofing is quickest at 26 days; addition the slowest at 258 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. Columbus, OH'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 Columbus, OH: For contractors with at least 5 permits a year or more old, the share that reached final inspection approval or a certificate of occupancy.
Speed: How long their permits take from issue to the date the record reached final approval, compared with other Columbus 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. A dash means the Columbus, OH record has no completion date for that trade (roofing, siding & windows), so there is nothing to count days from; it does not mean those permits are slow.
| Trade | Permits | Usual days to finish | Finished | Firms with 10+ permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 21,342 | 115 | 65.6% | 158 |
| Roofing, Siding & Windows | 19,187 | — | 36.2% | 203 |
| Electrical | 13,769 | 73 | 76.0% | 175 |
| Plumbing | 13,097 | 111 | 68.2% | 116 |
| Remodel & Alteration | 2,621 | 155 | 69.0% | 37 |
| New Home | 2,607 | 252 | 92.2% | 25 |
| Basement Waterproofing | 1,074 | 26 | 59.6% | 6 |
| Deck & Patio | 624 | 51 | 84.9% | 15 |
| Damage Repair | 399 | 173 | 91.7% | 6 |
| Addition | 329 | 258 | 86.7% | 3 |
| Demolition | 283 | 104 | 84.2% | 6 |
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 HVAC permit in Columbus, OH takes 115 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (21,342 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 65.6% of HVAC permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.8 months, the slowest quarter in 3.9 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
122 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH HVAC contractors →
The Columbus, OH record carries no completion date for roofing, siding & windows permits, so we can't count days. 36.2% of roofing, siding & windows permits a year or more old have been closed out. That is from 19,187 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
The usual electrical permit in Columbus, OH takes 73 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (13,769 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 76.0% of electrical 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 2.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
159 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH electrical contractors →
The usual plumbing permit in Columbus, OH takes 111 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (13,097 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 68.2% of plumbing permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.9 months, the slowest quarter in 3.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
101 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH plumbing contractors →
The usual remodel & alteration permit in Columbus, OH takes 155 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (2,621 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 69.0% of remodel & alteration permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.4 months, the slowest quarter in 4.5 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
29 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH remodel & alteration contractors →
The usual new home permit in Columbus, OH takes 252 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (2,607 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 92.2% of new home permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 5.8 months, the slowest quarter in 8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
23 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH new home contractors →
The usual basement waterproofing permit in Columbus, OH takes 26 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,074 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 59.6% of basement waterproofing permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
The usual deck & patio permit in Columbus, OH takes 51 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (624 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 84.9% of deck & patio 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 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
13 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH deck & patio contractors →
The usual damage repair permit in Columbus, OH takes 173 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (399 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 91.7% of damage repair permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 4.5 months, the slowest quarter in 5.5 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
6 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH damage repair contractors →
The usual addition permit in Columbus, OH takes 258 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (329 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 86.7% of addition 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 9.8 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
2 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH addition contractors →
The usual demolition permit in Columbus, OH takes 104 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (283 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 84.2% of demolition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.3 months, the slowest quarter in 3.7 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Columbus, OH's file.
6 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Columbus, OH demolition contractors →
Source: City of Columbus Building & Zoning Services permits on 1-, 2- and 3-family homes (the city's Accela permit layer). 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 Columbus, OH →
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