9,673 permits from 1,101 contractors across 6 kinds of work in the City of Pittsburgh, October 2023 through September 2026: about 3,224 a year. Electrical is the biggest trade with 4,618 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 | Finished | Days to finish | Busiest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 4,618 | 329 | 205 | $2,700 | 86.1% | 43 | October |
| Remodel, Windows & Alteration | 1,902 | 549 | 15 | $12,547 | 62.3% | 484 | May |
| HVAC | 1,718 | 153 | 99 | $7,800 | 82.7% | 161 | October |
| Solar | 926 | 59 | 44 | $17,782 | 78.4% | 56 | July |
| Demolition | 368 | 57 | 29 | $26,900 | 93.0% | 119 | July |
| New Home | 141 | 31 | 5 | $223,373 | 78.1% | 660 | 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 6 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Pittsburgh issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 7,087 | 3,544 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 2,586 | 2,586 |
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.
4,618 permits · busiest October, quietest January
1,902 permits · busiest May, quietest September
1,718 permits · busiest October, quietest August
926 permits · busiest July, quietest January
368 permits · busiest July, quietest November
141 permits · busiest January, quietest February
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 85 | 102 | 100 | 102 | 102 | 103 | 98 | 90 | 109 | 114 | 97 | 96 |
| Remodel, Windows & Alteration | 119 | 102 | 132 | 161 | 188 | 98 | 24 | 19 | 11 | 126 | 120 | 100 |
| HVAC | 121 | 86 | 104 | 100 | 100 | 104 | 94 | 79 | 109 | 137 | 79 | 88 |
| Solar | 49 | 53 | 49 | 71 | 65 | 127 | 174 | 139 | 132 | 170 | 101 | 70 |
| Demolition | 108 | 55 | 68 | 111 | 65 | 108 | 254 | 88 | 68 | 134 | 52 | 88 |
| New Home | 281 | 17 | 119 | 128 | 162 | 60 | 17 | 17 | 170 | 34 | 111 | 85 |
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.
October: Pittsburgh electrical permits peak in October (114 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (85). That is from 4,618 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 43 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 →
May: Pittsburgh remodel, windows & alteration permits peak in May (188 against an average month of 100, about 16% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (11). That is from 1,902 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 484 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, windows & alteration chart →
October: Pittsburgh HVAC permits peak in October (137 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); August is the quietest (79). That is from 1,718 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, August has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 161 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 chart →
July: Pittsburgh solar permits peak in July (174 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (49). That is from 926 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule solar installation, January has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 56 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 solar chart →
July: Pittsburgh demolition permits peak in July (254 against an average month of 100, about 21% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (52). That is from 368 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule demolition, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 119 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 demolition chart →
January: Pittsburgh new home permits peak in January (281 against an average month of 100, about 23% of a year's filings); February is the quietest (17). That is from 141 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, February has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 660 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 new home chart →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin C. Stockhausen | Electrical | 78 | 191 |
| Richard Brandi | Electrical | 57 | 177 |
| CW Electrical Services Inc. | Electrical | 53 | 145 |
| William Santoro | Electrical | 51 | 143 |
| Green Rack Contracting L.L.C. | Electrical, Solar | 49 | 75 |
| Pjwd Energy LLC | Electrical, Solar | 48 | 48 |
| Nicholas Electric Co Inc | Electrical | 47 | 128 |
| Thomas J Cain III | Electrical | 43 | 112 |
| Lewis McCullough | Electrical | 41 | 157 |
| Energy Independent Solutions,LLC | Electrical, Solar | 36 | 102 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 6 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 22 ZIP codes with 100 or more permits; each opens permits by trade and the most active contractors there.
| ZIP code | Permits | Share | Top trade | Usual home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15217 | 1,112 | 11% | Electrical | $265,000 |
| 15206 | 1,089 | 11% | Electrical | $133,000 |
| 15212 | 963 | 10% | Electrical | $62,000 |
| 15210 | 709 | 7% | Electrical | $50,000 |
| 15201 | 686 | 7% | Electrical | $103,000 |
| 15207 | 518 | 5% | Electrical | $83,000 |
| 15219 | 409 | 4% | Electrical | $74,000 |
| 15224 | 398 | 4% | Electrical | $107,000 |
| 15208 | 369 | 4% | Electrical | $208,000 |
| 15211 | 340 | 4% | Electrical | $74,000 |
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. 28.2% of the 1,101 firms on the file match an active license at the City of Pittsburgh's contractor and trade license files; the match goes by name and can miss one.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in Pittsburgh →
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