New York City, NY building permit statistics

By trade

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.

Permits by year

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 9 kinds of home work we track, not every permit New York City issues.

By month

Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 9 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.

When New York City schedules each kind of work

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.

Most active contractors in New York City, last 12 months

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.

Where the work is, by ZIP code

The 10 ZIP codes with the most permits. We keep each firm's permit count in its busiest ZIP codes (up to 8 per firm) and add them up, so a permit a firm filed outside its own busiest ZIPs is left out: these rows cover 58% of the 107,397 permits and each count is a floor, not a full count by address.

Common questions

• How many building permits does New York City issue a year?About 35,799 a year for the 9 kinds of home work we track (107,397 permits over 36 months, October 2023 through September 2026); 33,303 in the last 12 months. That is not the city's count of every permit: it covers electrical, solar, renovation, plumbing, structural & foundation, HVAC & boilers, driveway curb cut, demolition, new home, not commercial work or trades we don't read.
• When should you schedule work in New York City?If you can choose, book in a quiet month at the permit counter: for electrical work, February (busiest October); for solar installation, November (busiest August); for a home renovation, February (busiest July). Each trade has its own season; the questions above give every trade we track, with the usual days to sign-off.
• Who are the most active contractors in New York City?By permits pulled in the last 12 months: Island Electric Corp (1,155); Sunrun Installation Svc (1,114); Sunrun Solar Electl Corp (1,094). That is volume, not quality: compare finished share and filed values before you hire.
• Which trade pulls the most permits in New York City?Electrical: 50,479 permits from 1,252 firms.
• What is the busiest month for permits in New York City?October, counting every trade. February is the quietest. The chart above shows each trade; they do not all peak together.
• How many contractors are active in New York City?5,943 distinct business names appear on the file; 3,663 of them pulled at least one permit in the last 12 months. 66.7% of the 5,943 firms on the file match an active license at NYC Department of Buildings license records and DCWP home improvement contractor licenses; the match goes by name and can miss one.
• How many permits get finished?For electrical, 76.1% of permits a year or more old were closed out by the city. How long permits take in New York City →
• Where does this data come from?NYC Department of Buildings permits and DOB NOW filings on one- and two-family homes (NYC Open Data), read October 2026. How the records work in New York City →