Nashville, TN 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 25 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 10 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Nashville issues.

By month

Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 8 biggest trades (every trade with 500 or more permits), September 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 Nashville schedules each kind of work

For each trade, the month with the most permit filings and the month with the fewest, September 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 Nashville, 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.

Common questions

• How many building permits does Nashville issue a year?About 39,546 a year for the 10 kinds of home work we track (121,932 permits over 37 months, September 2023 through September 2026); 39,584 in the last 12 months. That is not the city's count of every permit: it covers electrical, HVAC / gas, plumbing, new home, demolition, swimming pool, deck, garage, shed / storage, backyard unit (ADU), not commercial work or trades we don't read.
• When should you schedule work in Nashville?If you can choose, book in a quiet month at the permit counter: for electrical work, December (busiest February); for HVAC work, December (busiest June); for plumbing work, December (busiest June). 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 Nashville?By permits pulled in the last 12 months: Hiller Plumbing Heating Cooling & Electrical dba Hiller LL (1,404); L & R Plumbing LLC (1,130); Lee Company (896). That is volume, not quality: compare finished share and filed values before you hire.
• Which trade pulls the most permits in Nashville?Electrical: 50,235 permits from 1,163 firms, with a usual filed value of $5,000.
• What is the busiest month for permits in Nashville?June, counting every trade. December is the quietest. The chart above shows each trade; they do not all peak together.
• How many contractors are active in Nashville?5,391 distinct business names appear on the file; 3,055 of them pulled at least one permit in the last 12 months. 42.2% of the 5,391 firms on the file match an active license at Tennessee contractor license information (verify.tn.gov); the match goes by name and can miss one.
• How many permits get finished?For electrical, 89.5% of permits a year or more old were closed out by the city. How long permits take in Nashville →
• Where does this data come from?public Davidson County (Metro Nashville) permit records, read September 2026. How the records work in Nashville →