The usual Pittsburgh permit takes 44 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout, across all 6 kinds of work on file (9,673 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). The usual electrical permit, the biggest trade here, takes 43 days. Electrical is also the quickest trade here; new home the slowest at 660 days. This is the turnaround 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 it. Pittsburgh's file we read does not carry a usable application date, so we don't guess at it. Ask the permit office for its current review times.
Finishing the work (measured here): issue → completion. The day the city issued the permit to the day it recorded a final inspection or closeout. That is the contractor's part: doing the work and getting it signed off.
What “finished” means in Pittsburgh: For contractors with at least 5 permits a year or more old, the share that reached completion.
Speed: An estimate of how quickly their permits are completed, based on permit status and age, compared with other Pittsburgh contractors in the trade. Shown for firms with 20+ permits.
Usual is the middle permit: half finish sooner, half later. Finished is the share of permits a year or more old that the city closed out.
| Trade | Permits | Usual days to finish | Finished | Firms with 10+ permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 4,618 | 43 | 86.1% | 106 |
| Remodel, Windows & Alteration | 1,902 | 484 | 62.3% | 28 |
| HVAC | 1,718 | 161 | 82.7% | 50 |
| Solar | 926 | 56 | 78.4% | 19 |
| Demolition | 368 | 119 | 93.0% | 10 |
| New Home | 141 | 660 | 78.1% | 3 |
Each trade on its own, from issue to the city's sign-off. The spread between the quickest and slowest quarter of firms is the part you can choose.
The usual electrical permit in Pittsburgh takes 43 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (4,618 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 86.1% of electrical permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.3 months, the slowest quarter in 2.1 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Pittsburgh's file.
59 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Pittsburgh electrical contractors →
The usual remodel, windows & alteration permit in Pittsburgh takes 484 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,902 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 62.3% of remodel, windows & alteration permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Pittsburgh's file.
The usual HVAC permit in Pittsburgh takes 161 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (1,718 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 82.7% of HVAC permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.2 months, the slowest quarter in 5.2 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Pittsburgh's file.
22 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Pittsburgh HVAC contractors →
The usual solar permit in Pittsburgh takes 56 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (926 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 78.4% of solar permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 0.6 months, the slowest quarter in 6.5 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Pittsburgh's file.
10 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Pittsburgh solar contractors →
The usual demolition permit in Pittsburgh takes 119 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (368 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 93.0% of demolition permits a year or more old have been closed out. The quickest quarter of firms usually finish in 1.4 months, the slowest quarter in 3.7 months. The wait for approval before issue is not in Pittsburgh's file.
7 firms with enough permits to measure, each firm's usual months to finish, weighted by its permits. Compare Pittsburgh demolition contractors →
The usual new home permit in Pittsburgh takes 660 days from issue to the city's final inspection or closeout (141 permits, October 2023 through September 2026). 78.1% of new home permits a year or more old have been closed out. The wait for approval before issue is not in Pittsburgh's file.
Source: City of Pittsburgh permits (Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center). 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.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Pittsburgh →
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