What the open file holds
The dataset has one row per permit and contractor, with these columns: DateIssued1, Month, PermitType, PermitNo, WorkType, PropertyAddress, PIN, APName, ContractorDBA, ContractorFullName, Valuation and Description. It starts in September 2024. It has no status and no final inspection date, so it tells you a permit was issued, not that the work passed.
| Column | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| PropertyAddress, PIN | Where the work is; PIN is the county parcel number |
| PermitNo, PermitType, WorkType | The permit and its trade (plumbing, electrical, mechanical, building) |
| ContractorDBA | The company name, filled on about half the permits |
| Valuation | The value on the permit, which sets the fee; not a final cost |
The file covers the City of Rockford only. Loves Park, Machesney Park, Cherry Valley and unincorporated Winnebago County run their own permit offices.
How to look up the permits on a Rockford address
- Open City of Rockford Building Permits and choose to view or explore the data.
- Filter PropertyAddress with "contains" and the house number and street name, without "Rd" or "St" in case the City abbreviates differently.
- Sort by DateIssued1. A water heater, a furnace and a re-roof each have their own permit.
- Note the PermitNo of any job you care about.
- Call the City of Rockford Building Department at 779-348-7158 with that number to ask whether the final inspection passed.
What "status" means in Rockford's file
There is none. The City's file lists permits when they are issued and has no status or final inspection date, so every permit on our pages is listed as open. A permit in the file means the City issued it; whether the job finished is a question for the Building Department.
When the permit you want is not online
The open file only goes back to September 2024. For an older permit, or for inspection results, contact the City's Building Department. The City's quick links list FOIA under its Legal department, which handles requests for records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
What our Rockford pages add
The open file answers "what was permitted at this address". Our Rockford page counts the same City records by kind of work, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 5,458 | 3,043 |
| Electrical | 3,597 | 1,871 |
| HVAC | 2,647 | 1,229 |
| Roofing | 2,024 | 952 |
| Fences & walls | 1,016 | 481 |
| Solar | 825 | 227 |
| Remodels & repairs | 635 | 316 |
| New homes | 260 | 185 |
67% of the 19,123 permits issued October 2024 to September 2026 were for homes. Gas-line permits count under plumbing. The permit statistics page has the same file by year and month, and browse permits lists the rows without owner names or street addresses. To check the licence of the firm on a permit, use How to check a contractor's license in Illinois.
What this does not tell you
No finished share, no time to final and no ZIP pages: the file has none of those fields. Only about half the permits carry the company's name and we have not matched them to state licence records, so we count permits per company but do not rate or rank firms.
How we know this
The dataset description and columns were read from the Illinois EDP open data site, and the City's portal links from its Permits and Building Permits pages, on 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City of Rockford Building Permits file read 21 October 2026: permits issued October 2024 to September 2026, City of Rockford only.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 21, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Rockford?
Open the City of Rockford Building Permits dataset on the Illinois EDP open data site and filter the PropertyAddress column by your street address. It lists permits issued since September 2024 with the permit number, type, work type, contractor and valuation. For anything older, ask the City's Building Department.
- Does the Rockford permit file show if a permit was finaled?
No. The City's file lists permits when they are issued and has no status or final inspection date. To find out whether the final inspection passed, ask the Building Department or the contractor for the inspection record.
- Can I search Rockford permits by contractor?
Yes, in the open file: filter the ContractorDBA column for the company name. It is filled on about half the permits; the ContractorFullName column usually holds the licence holder's own name instead.
- Does Rockford's file cover Loves Park or Machesney Park?
No. The file holds permits the City of Rockford issues inside city limits. Loves Park, Machesney Park, Cherry Valley and unincorporated Winnebago County issue their own permits.
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
- Adams County, CO building permit search: the e-Permit Center, statuses and CORA
- Alachua County building permit search: Citizenserve, statuses and old records
- Anaheim building permit search: Anaheim NEXT and the Building Permit Report
- Arlington, VA building permit search: Permit Arlington lookups and FOIA requests
- City of Rockford Building Permits — Illinois EDP open data (3k8p-pkx8) (2026-10-24)
- Permits — City of Rockford (2026-10-24)
- Building Permits — City of Rockford (2026-10-24)
- Submit a Permit — City of Rockford Citizen Portal (2026-10-24)