Data through September 2026 · updated 19 Oct 2026
The usual permit in Philadelphia takes 86 days from issue to the city's final inspection; the middle half take 21 to 203 days. That is from 20,637 permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 that reached a final. Demolition permits are quickest at 32 days; new home permits take longest at 303 days. This is the time to finish the work and close the permit, not the wait for approval.
“How long does a permit take?” can mean two waits. This page measures the second one.
Getting the permit (not measured): application → issue, the wait for the city to approve the plans. Ask the city for its current review times.
Finishing the work (measured here): issue → final. From the day the city issued the permit to the day it recorded the final inspection. We count only permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends, so slow jobs have had time to finish; a permit still open is not in the days.
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025. Usual days is the middle permit among those with a final date: half finished sooner, half later. Middle half is the range the middle 50% fell in. Kinds of work with fewer than 100 permits in that period are left out.
| Kind of work | Permits | Finished | Expired | Usual days to final | Middle half (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 9,764 | 78.0% | 12.4% | 41 | 13–190 |
| Remodels & repairs | 5,145 | 67.0% | 20.1% | 113 | 35–216 |
| Electrical | 4,783 | 84.9% | 3.3% | 80 | 22–175 |
| HVAC | 3,374 | 65.8% | 21.0% | 162 | 83–253 |
| Roofing | 2,387 | 28.0% | 71.5% | 35 | 14–186 |
| Solar | 1,510 | 79.1% | 12.8% | 37 | 24–63 |
| New homes | 650 | 62.5% | 1.8% | 303 | 242–399 |
| Additions | 409 | 57.9% | 6.4% | 246 | 149–350 |
| Demolition | 308 | 97.1% | 1.9% | 32 | 21–54 |
| Other | 735 | 83.3% | 2.3% | 202 | 138–281 |
Each kind of work on its own, issue to the city's final.
The usual plumbing permit in Philadelphia takes 41 days from issue to final; the middle half take 13 to 190 days (7,479 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 78% of the 9,764 permits issued then have finished and 12% expired. Philadelphia plumbing permits →
The usual remodel and repair permit in Philadelphia takes 113 days from issue to final; the middle half take 35 to 216 days (3,442 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 67% of the 5,145 permits issued then have finished and 20% expired. Philadelphia remodel and repair permits →
The usual electrical permit in Philadelphia takes 80 days from issue to final; the middle half take 22 to 175 days (4,017 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 85% of the 4,783 permits issued then have finished and 3% expired. Philadelphia electrical permits →
The usual HVAC permit in Philadelphia takes 162 days from issue to final; the middle half take 83 to 253 days (2,199 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 66% of the 3,374 permits issued then have finished and 21% expired. Philadelphia HVAC permits →
The usual roofing permit in Philadelphia takes 35 days from issue to final; the middle half take 14 to 186 days (668 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 28% of the 2,387 permits issued then have finished and 72% expired. Philadelphia roofing permits →
The usual solar permit in Philadelphia takes 37 days from issue to final; the middle half take 24 to 63 days (1,194 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 79% of the 1,510 permits issued then have finished and 13% expired. Philadelphia solar permits →
The usual new home permit in Philadelphia takes 303 days from issue to final; the middle half take 242 to 399 days (398 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 62% of the 650 permits issued then have finished and 2% expired. Philadelphia new home permits →
The usual home addition permit in Philadelphia takes 246 days from issue to final; the middle half take 149 to 350 days (236 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 58% of the 409 permits issued then have finished and 6% expired. Philadelphia home addition permits →
The usual demolition permit in Philadelphia takes 32 days from issue to final; the middle half take 21 to 54 days (298 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 97% of the 308 permits issued then have finished and 2% expired. Philadelphia demolition permits →
The usual garage, shed and shade structure permit in Philadelphia takes 93 days from issue to final; the middle half take 40 to 203 days (59 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.
Source: City of Philadelphia, Licenses and Inspections Building and Zoning Permits, 2007 to present (OpenDataPhilly; Carto table permits), read 19 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.
Residential permits the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) issues inside the city, which is also Philadelphia County: building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, EZ minor-work, demolition and solar permits for homes. Commercial permits, zoning and use permits, excavation and site permits, certificates of occupancy and event permits in the same file are not counted. Suburbs in Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties run their own permit offices and are not in this file.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Contractor Records, "How long do permits take in Philadelphia, PA?", https://contractorrecords.com/philadelphia/how-long-does-a-permit-take, data through September 2026, from the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections building-permit records.Link to a table: By kind of work · Each kind of permit.
Download the tables (CSV): Days to final by kind of work.