75,332 permits from 2,654 contractors across 11 kinds of work in the City of Columbus, October 2023 through September 2026: about 25,111 a year. HVAC is the biggest trade with 21,342 permits. The busiest month for filings is June.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 21,342 | 527 | 311 | — | 65.6% | 115 | June |
| Roofing, Siding & Windows | 19,187 | 815 | 479 | $11,726 | 36.2% | — | April |
| Electrical | 13,769 | 499 | 333 | — | 76.0% | 73 | August |
| Plumbing | 13,097 | 357 | 215 | — | 68.2% | 111 | April |
| Remodel & Alteration | 2,621 | 635 | 288 | $22,000 | 69.0% | 155 | April |
| New Home | 2,607 | 148 | 68 | $350,000 | 92.2% | 252 | November |
| Basement Waterproofing | 1,074 | 12 | 8 | $5,967 | 59.6% | 26 | October |
| Deck & Patio | 624 | 146 | 72 | $15,000 | 84.9% | 51 | April |
| Damage Repair | 399 | 159 | 64 | $40,994 | 91.7% | 173 | October |
| Addition | 329 | 179 | 75 | $113,269 | 86.7% | 258 | June |
| Demolition | 283 | 49 | 24 | $11,854 | 84.2% | 104 | May |
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 11 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Columbus, OH issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 48,718 | 24,359 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 26,614 | 26,614 |
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.
21,342 permits · busiest June, quietest March
19,187 permits · busiest April, quietest January
13,769 permits · busiest August, quietest January
13,097 permits · busiest April, quietest July
2,621 permits · busiest April, quietest January
2,607 permits · busiest November, quietest January
1,074 permits · busiest October, quietest December
624 permits · busiest April, quietest February
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 107 | 93 | 80 | 87 | 108 | 129 | 104 | 111 | 89 | 102 | 94 | 97 |
| Roofing, Siding & Windows | 42 | 55 | 95 | 133 | 130 | 129 | 114 | 123 | 120 | 122 | 82 | 56 |
| Electrical | 74 | 78 | 95 | 101 | 105 | 111 | 107 | 126 | 113 | 120 | 90 | 80 |
| Plumbing | 99 | 104 | 104 | 107 | 105 | 101 | 90 | 100 | 100 | 104 | 95 | 91 |
| Remodel & Alteration | 83 | 87 | 101 | 117 | 104 | 108 | 99 | 109 | 98 | 112 | 97 | 85 |
| New Home | 64 | 78 | 85 | 104 | 98 | 94 | 119 | 101 | 94 | 85 | 186 | 92 |
| Basement Waterproofing | 142 | 103 | 107 | 103 | 95 | 74 | 89 | 84 | 90 | 145 | 102 | 66 |
| Deck & Patio | 58 | 44 | 112 | 129 | 125 | 127 | 112 | 129 | 129 | 114 | 73 | 50 |
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.
June: Columbus, OH HVAC permits peak in June (129 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (80). That is from 21,342 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, March has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 115 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 →
April: Columbus, OH roofing, siding & windows permits peak in April (133 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (42). That is from 19,187 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule exterior work, January has the fewest filings. Busiest is not the same as best: this counts filings, not prices or weather, and we have no prices by month. See the roofing, siding & windows chart →
August: Columbus, OH electrical permits peak in August (126 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (74). That is from 13,769 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 73 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 →
April: Columbus, OH plumbing permits peak in April (107 against an average month of 100, about 9% of a year's filings); July is the quietest (90). That is from 13,097 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, July has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 111 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 →
April: Columbus, OH remodel & alteration permits peak in April (117 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (83). That is from 2,621 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 155 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 →
November: Columbus, OH new home permits peak in November (186 against an average month of 100, about 15% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (64). That is from 2,607 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 252 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 →
October: Columbus, OH basement waterproofing permits peak in October (145 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (66). That is from 1,074 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule waterproofing work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 26 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 basement waterproofing chart →
April: Columbus, OH deck & patio permits peak in April (129 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (44). That is from 624 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a deck build, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 51 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 deck & patio chart →
October: Columbus, OH damage repair permits peak in October (135 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (78). That is from 399 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule damage repair work, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 173 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: Columbus, OH addition permits peak in June (139 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); July is the quietest (51). That is from 329 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, July has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 258 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.
May: Columbus, OH demolition permits peak in May (165 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (25). That is from 283 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 104 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eco Plumbers Inc | HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing | 1,533 | 4,193 |
| Columbus/Worthington Air | HVAC | 973 | 2,555 |
| Atlas Butler Heating and Cooling | HVAC, Plumbing | 953 | 3,053 |
| Rosati Windows | Roofing, Siding & Windows, Remodel & Alteration | 668 | 1,940 |
| Able Roof | Roofing, Siding & Windows, Remodel & Alteration | 626 | 1,505 |
| Five Star Home Services | HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing | 600 | 1,541 |
| Righter Plumbing Inc | HVAC, Plumbing | 429 | 1,070 |
| Power Home Remodeling | Roofing, Siding & Windows | 367 | 372 |
| Apex Pros | HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing | 322 | 389 |
| Rescue Rooter Plumbing, Drains, and Electric | HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing | 321 | 630 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 11 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43214 | 4,961 | 7% | HVAC | $365,000 |
| 43235 | 4,185 | 6% | Roofing, Siding & Windows | $363,000 |
| 43110 | 3,760 | 5% | HVAC | $269,000 |
| 43207 | 3,713 | 5% | HVAC | $162,000 |
| 43026 | 3,581 | 5% | HVAC | $311,000 |
| 43228 | 3,465 | 5% | HVAC | $252,000 |
| 43204 | 3,271 | 4% | Roofing, Siding & Windows | $167,000 |
| 43206 | 3,179 | 4% | HVAC | $221,000 |
| 43229 | 2,824 | 4% | Roofing, Siding & Windows | $235,000 |
| 43081 | 2,677 | 4% | HVAC | $363,000 |
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. 28.0% of the 2,654 firms on the file match an active license at the Ohio OCILB public roster of current electrical, HVAC, hydronics, plumbing and refrigeration contractor licenses; the match goes by name and can miss one.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Columbus, OH →
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