7,078 permits from 1,673 contractors across 13 kinds of work in the City of Palo Alto, October 2023 through September 2026: about 2,359 a year. Roofing is the biggest trade with 1,603 permits. The busiest month for filings is October.
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 | Days to finish | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 1,603 | 398 | 184 | $21,400 | 48 | September |
| HVAC & Heat Pumps | 938 | 182 | 94 | $13,018 | 69 | July |
| Electrical | 915 | 426 | 200 | $3,000 | 70 | May |
| Water Heater | 851 | 121 | 60 | $5,000 | 50 | October |
| Remodel & Alteration | 673 | 420 | 182 | $30,000 | 187 | July |
| Plumbing & Sewer | 634 | 192 | 98 | $9,413 | 20 | January |
| Solar & Battery | 410 | 103 | 57 | $24,187 | 109 | October |
| Demolition | 256 | 118 | 42 | $25,000 | 283 | October |
| Windows & Doors | 216 | 67 | 36 | $12,852 | 81 | July |
| ADU | 206 | 158 | 39 | $108,045 | — | March |
| Foundation & Seismic | 148 | 31 | 12 | $6,260 | 130 | October |
| New Home | 128 | 81 | 20 | $519,098 | — | October |
| Addition | 100 | 90 | 25 | $165,313 | 554 | January |
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 13 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Palo Alto issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 4,756 | 2,378 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 2,322 | 2,322 |
Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 6 biggest trades, 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.
1,603 permits · busiest September, quietest December
938 permits · busiest July, quietest March
915 permits · busiest May, quietest December
851 permits · busiest October, quietest May
673 permits · busiest July, quietest April
634 permits · busiest January, quietest December
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 94 | 63 | 91 | 108 | 103 | 108 | 124 | 126 | 129 | 127 | 73 | 55 |
| HVAC & Heat Pumps | 87 | 76 | 63 | 105 | 101 | 114 | 125 | 95 | 106 | 115 | 114 | 100 |
| Electrical | 92 | 81 | 77 | 105 | 117 | 109 | 106 | 106 | 112 | 108 | 112 | 76 |
| Water Heater | 120 | 110 | 92 | 78 | 59 | 79 | 99 | 89 | 102 | 134 | 123 | 117 |
| Remodel & Alteration | 87 | 84 | 110 | 82 | 130 | 120 | 141 | 84 | 87 | 98 | 84 | 93 |
| Plumbing & Sewer | 127 | 125 | 80 | 81 | 93 | 98 | 114 | 104 | 125 | 87 | 93 | 74 |
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.
September: Palo Alto roofing permits peak in September (129 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (55). That is from 1,603 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule roofing work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 48 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 roofing chart →
July: Palo Alto HVAC & heat pumps permits peak in July (125 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); March is the quietest (63). That is from 938 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 69 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 & heat pumps chart →
May: Palo Alto electrical permits peak in May (117 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (76). That is from 915 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 70 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 →
October: Palo Alto water heater permits peak in October (134 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (59). That is from 851 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule water heater replacement, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 50 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 water heater chart →
July: Palo Alto remodel & alteration permits peak in July (141 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); April is the quietest (82). That is from 673 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, April has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 187 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 →
January: Palo Alto plumbing & sewer permits peak in January (127 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (74). That is from 634 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 20 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 & sewer chart →
October: Palo Alto solar & battery permits peak in October (158 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (70). That is from 410 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 109 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.
October: Palo Alto demolition permits peak in October (131 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (75). That is from 256 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 283 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.
July: Palo Alto windows & doors permits peak in July (144 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (56). That is from 216 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule window replacement, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 81 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.
March: Palo Alto ADU permits peak in March (146 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); July is the quietest (70). That is from 206 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule ADU construction, July 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.
October: Palo Alto foundation & seismic permits peak in October (162 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (57). That is from 148 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule foundation work, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 130 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.
October: Palo Alto new home permits peak in October (150 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); August is the quietest (56). That is from 128 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, August 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.
January: Palo Alto addition permits peak in January (132 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (60). That is from 100 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 554 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuse HVAC Refrigeration Electrical & Plumbing | Roofing, HVAC & Heat Pumps, Electrical, Water Heater, Plumbing & Sewer, Windows & Doors | 197 | 337 |
| Larratt Bros Plumbing Inc | HVAC & Heat Pumps, Electrical, Water Heater, Plumbing & Sewer | 52 | 91 |
| Shelton Roofing Co Inc | Roofing | 48 | 121 |
| Irbis HVAC Inc | HVAC & Heat Pumps, Electrical, Water Heater, Plumbing & Sewer | 47 | 91 |
| Synergy Companies | HVAC & Heat Pumps, Electrical, Water Heater, Solar & Battery | 39 | 419 |
| Cobalt Power Systems Inc | Roofing, Electrical, Solar & Battery, ADU | 27 | 78 |
| Renewal by Andersen of San Francisco | Remodel & Alteration, Windows & Doors | 25 | 76 |
| Mike Counsil Plumbing LLC | Electrical, Water Heater, Plumbing & Sewer | 24 | 52 |
| Service Champions | HVAC & Heat Pumps, Electrical, Water Heater, Plumbing & Sewer | 24 | 46 |
| Nur HVAC Inc | HVAC & Heat Pumps, Water Heater | 23 | 43 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 13 kinds of home work we track. All 3 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
Source: City of Palo Alto Development Center building permits on single-family, duplex and ADU homes. 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. 91.6% of the 1,673 firms on the file match an active license at the California CSLB License Master file, using the license number recorded on each permit; the match goes by name and can miss one.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Palo Alto →
Other cities: Nashville Orlando New York City Chicago Austin Raleigh Cincinnati Cleveland Pittsburgh Miami Minneapolis St. Louis Denver San Diego Colorado Springs Honolulu Albuquerque Boulder Greensboro Saint Paul Arlington, VA Scottsdale Henderson Cambridge Somerville Cary Mesa Naperville Bellevue Cape Coral Provo Bellingham Bend Ames Denton Sugar Land Burlington, VT Seattle San Francisco Medford Anaheim Elk Grove Wilmington, NC Bismarck Tyler, TX Columbus, OH Wheaton, IL San Diego County (unincorporated) Marin County (unincorporated) Sacramento County (unincorporated) Citrus Heights, CA Waco, TX