40,032 permits from 2,436 contractors across 7 kinds of work in the City of Raleigh, October 2023 through September 2026: about 13,344 a year. Electrical is the biggest trade with 16,812 permits. The busiest month for filings is July.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 16,812 | 942 | 622 | — | 91 | July |
| HVAC | 10,761 | 638 | 404 | — | 121 | July |
| Plumbing | 9,188 | 513 | 330 | — | 133 | August |
| New Home | 1,703 | 206 | 127 | $456,960 | — | May |
| Deck | 1,101 | 459 | 215 | $29,000 | — | August |
| Swimming Pool | 328 | 69 | 46 | $150,000 | — | April |
| Backyard Unit (ADU) | 139 | 102 | 49 | $112,256 | — | April |
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 7 kinds of home work we track, not every permit Raleigh issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 27,254 | 13,627 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 12,778 | 12,778 |
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.
16,812 permits · busiest July, quietest December
10,761 permits · busiest July, quietest December
9,188 permits · busiest August, quietest December
1,703 permits · busiest May, quietest January
1,101 permits · busiest August, quietest December
328 permits · busiest April, quietest December
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 100 | 94 | 101 | 102 | 101 | 98 | 115 | 113 | 102 | 100 | 93 | 81 |
| HVAC | 101 | 98 | 98 | 104 | 107 | 96 | 116 | 111 | 100 | 101 | 92 | 77 |
| Plumbing | 101 | 102 | 98 | 102 | 113 | 104 | 112 | 117 | 100 | 93 | 84 | 75 |
| New Home | 72 | 98 | 104 | 102 | 122 | 111 | 119 | 108 | 82 | 111 | 88 | 82 |
| Deck | 87 | 97 | 111 | 108 | 100 | 89 | 97 | 120 | 108 | 111 | 88 | 84 |
| Swimming Pool | 102 | 99 | 117 | 132 | 95 | 113 | 117 | 95 | 110 | 88 | 77 | 55 |
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.
July: Raleigh electrical permits peak in July (115 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (81). That is from 16,812 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 91 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 →
July: Raleigh HVAC permits peak in July (116 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (77). That is from 10,761 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 121 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 →
August: Raleigh plumbing permits peak in August (117 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (75). That is from 9,188 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 133 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 chart →
May: Raleigh new home permits peak in May (122 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (72). That is from 1,703 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, January 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. See the new home chart →
August: Raleigh deck permits peak in August (120 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (84). That is from 1,101 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a deck build, December 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. See the deck chart →
April: Raleigh swimming pool permits peak in April (132 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (55). That is from 328 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a pool build, December 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. See the swimming pool chart →
April: Raleigh backyard unit (ADU) permits peak in April (193 against an average month of 100, about 16% of a year's filings); June is the quietest (42). That is from 139 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule ADU construction, June 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather Master Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. | Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing | 486 | 1,484 |
| Mof LLC dba: dba Michael & Son Services of NC LLC | Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing | 335 | 829 |
| Romanoff Electric Residential LLC. | Electrical | 227 | 686 |
| Yellow Dot Heating & Air Conditioning | Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing | 176 | 479 |
| American Plumbing Inc. | HVAC, Plumbing | 168 | 776 |
| Ideal Electric Inc | Electrical | 158 | 930 |
| Maynor Service Company | Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing | 158 | 652 |
| Ogilvie Enterprises Inc. | Electrical | 147 | 302 |
| Casey Services HVAC, Inc. | Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing | 144 | 329 |
| Custom Air Conditioning, Inc. | Electrical, HVAC | 144 | 322 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 7 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27610 | 6,654 | 17% | Electrical | $318,000 |
| 27616 | 4,901 | 12% | Electrical | $387,000 |
| 27609 | 4,190 | 10% | Electrical | $853,000 |
| 27612 | 3,774 | 9% | Electrical | $660,000 |
| 27615 | 3,471 | 9% | Electrical | $612,000 |
| 27604 | 2,935 | 7% | Electrical | $390,000 |
| 27608 | 2,686 | 7% | Electrical | $1,140,000 |
| 27607 | 2,246 | 6% | Electrical | $949,000 |
| 27613 | 2,023 | 5% | Electrical | $617,000 |
| 27614 | 1,611 | 4% | Electrical | $647,000 |
Source: City of Raleigh building permits. 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 Raleigh →
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