- Order of trades. The usual share still open across cities, most to least: remodel 21.4%, HVAC 21.2%, electrical 19.5%, plumbing 19.0%, solar 16.0%, roofing 14.0%, new home 10.4%.
- Of 201 city-and-trade figures, 63 leave a quarter or more of their year-old permits open and 22 leave under 5% open.
- In total 122,209 of the 613,697 permits a year or more old in these cells are still open.
- Most left open: remodel in Chicago, IL (87.9%); new home in Naperville, IL (86.0%); new home in New York City, NY (80.1%).
Each figure is the share of permits a year or more old that have no final inspection, closeout or certificate of occupancy on record. A permit counts if it was issued at least 12 months before the end of the city's file, so every job has had at least a year to finish. Open, expired and voided permits all count as not finished.
The short version: each trade across cities
"Usual share still open" is the middle of the city figures, so a big city counts the same as a small one. The most and least open city link to that city's compare page for the trade, which shows each firm's finished share.
| Trade | Cities | Permits a year+ old | Usual share still open | Most left open | Fewest left open | Cities with 25%+ open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 37 | 192,259 | 19.5% | Sugar Land, TX (65.7%) | Cape Coral, FL (5.1%) | 11 |
| Plumbing | 30 | 112,449 | 19.0% | Chicago, IL (73.3%) | Greensboro, NC (5.9%) | 12 |
| HVAC | 39 | 154,914 | 21.2% | Chicago, IL (78.8%) | Miami, FL (4.5%) | 16 |
| Roofing | 19 | 46,358 | 14.0% | Tyler, TX (76.6%) | Cape Coral, FL (1.7%) | 6 |
| Remodel | 24 | 19,002 | 21.4% | Chicago, IL (87.9%) | Bend, OR (4.0%) | 11 |
| New home | 26 | 27,085 | 10.4% | Naperville, IL (86.0%) | Sacramento County, CA (0.0%) | 4 |
| Solar | 26 | 61,630 | 16.0% | Waco, TX (30.4%) | Bend, OR (1.8%) | 3 |
The 15 markets with the most permits left open
Each row is one city and trade. "Open permits" is the number of permits a year or more old with no recorded final.
| City | Trade | Still open | Open permits | Permits a year+ old | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | Remodel | 87.9% | 206 | 234 | status only, no finish dates |
| Naperville, IL | New home | 86.0% | 322 | 374 | timed only in the permit system used from 2024 |
| New York City, NY | New home | 80.1% | 277 | 346 | |
| Chicago, IL | HVAC | 78.8% | 2,093 | 2,656 | status only, no finish dates |
| Tyler, TX | Roofing | 76.6% | 1,794 | 2,342 | status only, no finish dates |
| Chicago, IL | Plumbing | 73.3% | 2,928 | 3,994 | status only, no finish dates |
| Sugar Land, TX | Electrical | 65.7% | 512 | 779 | |
| Sugar Land, TX | HVAC | 63.9% | 583 | 912 | |
| Chicago, IL | Electrical | 61.8% | 4,265 | 6,902 | status only, no finish dates |
| Somerville, MA | Roofing | 61.5% | 140 | 228 | |
| Chicago, IL | New home | 61.3% | 186 | 303 | status only, no finish dates |
| Tyler, TX | Electrical | 53.6% | 791 | 1,475 | status only, no finish dates |
| Sugar Land, TX | Roofing | 53.5% | 995 | 1,859 | |
| Wheaton, IL | HVAC | 52.6% | 333 | 633 | finish = last passed inspection |
| Saint Paul, MN | Remodel | 50.6% | 487 | 963 |
Every city, every trade
Each cell is the share still open, then (in brackets) the number of permits a year or more old it rests on. Figures link to the city's compare page for the trade; city names link to its permit statistics. "Shown trades together" pools the cells shown in that row. A dash means no such trade, no closeout data, or fewer than 200 permits a year old.
| City | Electrical | Plumbing | HVAC | Roofing | Remodel | New home | Solar | Shown trades together | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | — | — | — | — | — | 39.8% (778) | 16.9% (1,844) | 23.7% | status only, no finish dates |
| Anaheim, CA | 11.0% (571) | 12.0% (397) | 14.3% (762) | 3.6% (779) | — | — | 20.5% (563) | 11.8% | |
| Arlington, VA | 13.5% (2,370) | 17.2% (4,075) | 13.1% (1,692) | — | — | 5.1% (232) | 2.3% (416) | 14.4% | county permits |
| Austin, TX | 9.4% (15,348) | 12.9% (14,444) | 19.6% (11,083) | — | 17.1% (3,878) | 17.7% (2,294) | — | 13.9% | |
| Bellevue, WA | 16.7% (4,730) | 15.4% (706) | 26.3% (3,355) | — | — | — | — | 20.3% | |
| Bellingham, WA | 10.6% (1,781) | — | 7.1% (1,732) | — | — | 16.2% (307) | 2.3% (510) | 8.6% | |
| Bend, OR | 12.0% (2,123) | 17.1% (572) | 6.2% (2,459) | — | 4.0% (270) | 2.0% (998) | 1.8% (758) | 7.7% | |
| Bismarck, ND | 16.1% (1,037) | 18.3% (521) | 9.7% (460) | — | — | 24.6% (401) | — | 16.8% | remodel includes additions |
| Boulder, CO | 24.8% (575) | — | 30.4% (2,475) | 14.0% (1,179) | 18.6% (270) | — | 6.6% (882) | 21.7% | |
| Burlington, VT | 23.8% (1,295) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23.8% | roofing includes siding |
| Cambridge, MA | 28.3% (1,409) | 32.2% (1,173) | 45.3% (555) | 7.9% (210) | 50.3% (1,159) | — | — | 36.1% | remodel includes additions; status only, no finish dates |
| Cape Coral, FL | 5.1% (749) | 8.2% (621) | 6.7% (1,923) | 1.7% (815) | — | 9.3% (1,277) | 2.5% (395) | 6.2% | 21 months of data |
| Cary, NC | 26.3% (655) | 8.3% (437) | 21.8% (6,148) | — | 12.0% (583) | 1.1% (765) | 12.3% (465) | 18.6% | |
| Chicago, IL | 61.8% (6,902) | 73.3% (3,994) | 78.8% (2,656) | 30.3% (478) | 87.9% (234) | 61.3% (303) | 25.7% (3,401) | 59.5% | status only, no finish dates |
| Cincinnati, OH | — | 14.3% (3,889) | 32.7% (3,649) | — | 33.8% (608) | — | — | 24.0% | |
| Citrus Heights, CA | 46.7% (400) | — | 18.2% (1,262) | 13.8% (874) | 26.5% (261) | — | — | 21.7% | remodel includes additions |
| Cleveland, OH | 35.5% (2,463) | 41.3% (3,566) | 18.9% (3,175) | 22.0% (2,924) | 42.5% (467) | 17.9% (225) | — | 29.9% | |
| Columbus, OH | 24.0% (8,843) | 31.8% (8,325) | 34.4% (14,137) | — | 31.0% (1,217) | 7.8% (1,461) | — | 29.8% | |
| Denton, TX | — | — | 11.4% (979) | — | — | 2.5% (1,269) | — | 6.4% | status only, no finish dates |
| Elk Grove, CA | — | 34.0% (543) | 15.3% (2,709) | — | 20.5% (314) | 0.7% (2,190) | 3.6% (2,514) | 9.3% | remodel includes additions |
| Greensboro, NC | 6.2% (10,412) | 5.9% (5,245) | 10.5% (10,475) | — | 15.3% (610) | 2.6% (1,513) | 22.7% (271) | 7.9% | |
| Henderson, NV | 22.6% (1,289) | 30.6% (911) | 16.9% (334) | — | 9.3% (270) | 3.7% (6,261) | 6.9% (4,839) | 8.8% | |
| Honolulu, HI | 21.7% (5,393) | — | — | — | 19.7% (322) | 11.6% (911) | 15.8% (10,961) | 17.5% | file ends Jun 2025 |
| Marin County, CA | 32.3% (583) | — | 25.2% (1,054) | 14.8% (1,047) | — | — | — | 22.7% | unincorporated county |
| Medford, OR | 5.8% (348) | — | 21.2% (968) | — | — | 4.2% (407) | 3.3% (507) | 11.6% | remodel includes additions |
| Miami, FL | 13.4% (1,697) | 8.5% (2,960) | 4.5% (1,548) | 2.4% (2,086) | 7.0% (321) | — | — | 7.2% | |
| Minneapolis, MN | — | 28.7% (13,055) | 24.0% (11,863) | 7.0% (14,830) | 25.0% (2,205) | — | 6.5% (987) | 19.2% | |
| Naperville, IL | 35.2% (233) | — | — | — | — | 86.0% (374) | — | 66.6% | timed only in the permit system used from 2024 |
| Nashville, TN | 10.5% (48,040) | 10.3% (25,504) | 24.4% (27,985) | — | — | — | — | 14.3% | 37 months of data; status only, no finish dates |
| New York City, NY | 23.9% (35,658) | 22.6% (6,908) | 34.9% (853) | — | — | 80.1% (346) | 16.1% (14,424) | 22.3% | HVAC includes boilers |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 13.9% (2,857) | — | 17.3% (1,108) | — | 37.7% (1,170) | — | 21.6% (575) | 20.2% | remodel includes windows; status only, no finish dates |
| Provo, UT | — | — | — | — | — | 12.7% (252) | — | 12.7% | |
| Sacramento County, CA | 19.5% (1,577) | 9.0% (839) | 15.9% (4,658) | 12.3% (2,942) | 9.9% (1,166) | 0.0% (1,312) | 15.6% (590) | 12.9% | unincorporated county; remodel includes additions |
| Saint Paul, MN | 25.6% (10,192) | 23.0% (5,619) | 44.8% (8,773) | 31.1% (5,122) | 50.6% (963) | — | 17.6% (492) | 32.1% | |
| San Diego, CA | 23.4% (951) | 34.4% (1,037) | 39.4% (1,157) | — | 22.3% (568) | — | 26.4% (7,083) | 28.1% | |
| San Diego County, CA | 18.3% (1,419) | 35.9% (780) | 40.6% (3,350) | 19.2% (773) | 8.7% (311) | 12.3% (356) | 17.8% (5,993) | 24.5% | unincorporated county |
| San Francisco, CA | — | — | — | 12.8% (6,304) | 18.6% (1,119) | — | — | 13.7% | |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 41.4% (933) | 19.6% (1,457) | 35.8% (1,225) | — | — | 21.8% (401) | 23.1% (896) | 28.6% | status only, no finish dates |
| Seattle, WA | 5.4% (12,862) | — | 13.9% (12,509) | 12.6% (356) | — | — | 3.1% (1,567) | 9.3% | HVAC = furnaces; heat pumps filed separately |
| Somerville, MA | 10.9% (1,145) | 32.9% (719) | 49.2% (233) | 61.5% (228) | 37.0% (249) | — | — | 27.5% | |
| St. Louis, MO | — | — | — | — | 34.4% (467) | — | — | 34.5% | |
| Sugar Land, TX | 65.7% (779) | 43.6% (963) | 63.9% (912) | 53.5% (1,859) | — | — | 24.6% (271) | 53.9% | |
| Tyler, TX | 53.6% (1,475) | 28.1% (913) | 48.0% (1,089) | 76.6% (2,342) | — | 19.8% (458) | — | 55.1% | remodel includes additions; status only, no finish dates |
| Waco, TX | 10.8% (2,351) | 10.6% (1,769) | 6.3% (1,442) | 39.5% (1,210) | — | 4.4% (950) | 30.4% (216) | 14.1% | |
| Wheaton, IL | — | — | 52.6% (633) | — | — | — | — | 52.6% | finish = last passed inspection |
| Wilmington, NC | 17.4% (814) | 17.8% (507) | 10.6% (1,534) | — | — | 3.8% (1,044) | 18.8% (210) | 11.5% |
Why the same permit stays open in one city and closes in another
The share left open says more about the permit office than about the contractors:
- Who closes the permit. Some offices close small trade permits on the final visit as a matter of routine, or expire and close them on a schedule. Others leave a permit open until someone books and passes a final, and record nothing if that never happens.
- What the file records. Several cities (Chicago, Cambridge, Colorado Springs, Pittsburgh, Scottsdale and others) publish only a permit's current status, not the date it was finished. A permit that was finished but never updated in the system counts as open.
- System changes. When an office moves to a new permit system, permits from the old one are sometimes never closed in the new one. Naperville's figures, for example, mix permits from two systems.
- Bundled jobs. A new-home or remodel permit stays open until the whole job passes, so it has more ways to stall than a one-visit electrical permit.
Within a city, though, the comparison between firms is fair: they file with the same office under the same rules. A firm that leaves far more permits open than others in its trade is worth asking about, and the compare page shows each firm's finished share next to the city's.
If your permit is one of them
- Find the permit on the city's permit search or on your city's compare page and note its number and status.
- Ask your contractor whether the final inspection was booked. If not, ask them to book it; the job is not done until it passes.
- If the contractor has gone, call the permit office: our guide to why a permit is still open covers what they will ask for.
The finished share for each city and trade, the other side of these figures, is in our permit completion rates by city study, and how long finished permits took is in how long building permits take by city.
How we know this
What is counted. Permits on houses and small residential buildings (as each city's data allows) that name a contractor and were issued at least a year before the end of the city's data window. Not finished means the office has no final inspection, closeout, completion or certificate of occupancy on record; open, expired and voided permits all count. The share is 100% minus the finished share in our completion study (each firm's finished share, lightly smoothed toward the city average for firms with few permits, weighted by its permits a year or more old), and the open-permit counts are that share applied to the permits behind it, rounded.
Thresholds. A cell is shown only when it rests on 200 or more permits a year old. The city-wide extremes in the opening paragraph use cities with 2,000 or more such permits across the cells shown, so a small file does not top the list.
Caveats. This measures the office's records, not the work. Cities that publish only current status, with no finish dates (marked in the Notes column), can show permits as open that were finished long ago. A city whose file ends early is measured from the end of its file (see the Notes column). Cape Coral's file starts in January 2025, so its permits a year old were all issued in 2025. San Diego County, Marin County and Sacramento County are unincorporated-county permits only. Trade names differ by city; the Notes column says where a column covers more or less than its name.
Regenerating. The tables are built by seo/tools/studies.py from the same files as every compare page; rerun it after a data refresh.
Numbers come from public permit records in 53 cities, data through October 22, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Pick your city and see which firms get their permits finished →
Questions
- What does "still open after a year" mean here?
The permit was issued at least a year before the city's file ends and has no final inspection, closeout or certificate of occupancy on record. Some of those permits are literally open; others expired or were voided without a final. Either way, the record does not show the work was signed off.
- Does an open permit mean the work was never finished?
Usually not. Most open permits belong to jobs that were done but never got a recorded final: nobody booked the inspection, a correction was never re-inspected, or the office does not close small permits on its own. Chicago's file is the extreme: only 21.2% of HVAC permits a year or more old are recorded as finished, which reflects how that office records closeout far more than how its contractors work.
- My permit is still open. What should I do?
Call or email the permit office with the permit number and ask what is outstanding: usually a final inspection to book, sometimes a fee or a correction. Your contractor normally books the final, so ask them first. Our guide to why a permit is still open walks through it step by step.
- Why does an open permit matter?
An open or expired permit stays on the property's record and can come up when you sell. Austin told KXAN that expired permits generally have to be cured before a related new permit is issued (KXAN, November 2021). Closing a permit while the contractor is still around is far easier than years later.
- How is this different from the completion rate study?
It is the same records seen from the other side: the share still open here is 100% minus the finished share in our permit completion study, for the same city-and-trade cells. This page adds the number of open permits behind each figure and ranks the markets where the most are left open. In Seattle 94.5% of electrical permits a year old are finished.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- How many contractors are licensed? License match rates by city and trade
- How concentrated is the contractor market? Top-5 share by city and trade
- How many contractors are active? Firms per city and trade, and how many are new or gone quiet
- Which cities' contractors finish their permits? Completion rates in 2026