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Unincorporated Riverside County, CA building permit statistics

Data through September 2026 · updated 23 Oct 2026

27,209 building permits issued in unincorporated Riverside County, October 2024 through September 2026: about 13,604 a year. The biggest kind of work is electrical, with 4,935. 12,872 permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 10% fewer than the 14,337 in the 12 months before. 79% were permits for homes. The busiest month for permits is April.

27,209permits issued
12,872last 12 months
−10%vs the 12 months before
79%for homes
Aprbusiest month
Sep 2026records through

By kind of work

Permits issued October 2024 through September 2026. Last 12 months is Oct 2025–Sep 2026; the 12 months before is Oct 2024–Sep 2025. Homes is the share issued as residential permits. Busiest month is the calendar month with the most permits on average.

Kind of workPermitsShareLast 12 mo12 mo beforeChangeHomesBusiest month
Electrical4,93518%2,4192,516−4%45%April
Solar4,24216%1,9422,300−16%96%October
New homes3,76914%1,7652,004−12%100%February
Fences & walls3,63913%1,6362,003−18%78%April
HVAC1,8337%939894+5%98%July
Plumbing1,8137%848965−12%95%July
Garages, sheds & shade structures1,6576%757900−16%74%April
Roofing9734%4864870%94%October
Pools & spas9493%424525−19%82%October
ADUs & casitas4382%168270−38%100%February
Additions150under 1%8367+24%100%October
Demolition108under 1%4959−17%0%November
Remodels & repairs105under 1%5748+19%100%July
Other2,59810%1,2991,2990%50%March

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By year

Permits issued in each calendar year of the window. Per year scales a part year to 12 months.

YearMonthsPermitsPer year
2024 (from October)33,38913,556
20251214,01214,012
2026 (through September)99,80813,077

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By month

Permits issued each month, October 2024 through September 2026. The tallest bar is the busiest month on file.

Oct 2024: 1,220Oct2024Nov 2024: 1,062Dec 2024: 1,107Jan 2025: 1,093Jan2025Feb 2025: 1,349Mar 2025: 1,341Apr 2025: 1,478May 2025: 1,253Jun 2025: 974Jul 2025: 1,142JulAug 2025: 1,102Sep 2025: 1,216Oct 2025: 1,070Nov 2025: 900Dec 2025: 1,094Jan 2026: 917Jan2026Feb 2026: 965Mar 2026: 1,253Apr 2026: 1,278May 2026: 1,029Jun 2026: 1,217Jul 2026: 976JulAug 2026: 1,012Sep 2026: 1,161
The same numbers as a table
MonthPermits
Oct 20241,220
Nov 20241,062
Dec 20241,107
Jan 20251,093
Feb 20251,349
Mar 20251,341
Apr 20251,478
May 20251,253
Jun 2025974
Jul 20251,142
Aug 20251,102
Sep 20251,216
Oct 20251,070
Nov 2025900
Dec 20251,094
Jan 2026917
Feb 2026965
Mar 20261,253
Apr 20261,278
May 20261,029
Jun 20261,217
Jul 2026976
Aug 20261,012
Sep 20261,161

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When each kind of work is filed

Permits by calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line), October 2024 through September 2026. Kinds of work do not all peak together. Each month is counted twice (once a year), so one unusual month still moves these numbers.

Electrical

4,935 permits · busiest April, quietest January

January: 76 (100 = an average month)February: 86 (100 = an average month)March: 117 (100 = an average month)April: 123 (100 = an average month)123May: 103 (100 = an average month)June: 106 (100 = an average month)July: 97 (100 = an average month)August: 112 (100 = an average month)September: 107 (100 = an average month)October: 100 (100 = an average month)November: 80 (100 = an average month)December: 94 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Solar

4,242 permits · busiest October, quietest February

January: 89 (100 = an average month)February: 79 (100 = an average month)March: 102 (100 = an average month)April: 105 (100 = an average month)May: 101 (100 = an average month)June: 85 (100 = an average month)July: 93 (100 = an average month)August: 99 (100 = an average month)September: 103 (100 = an average month)October: 122 (100 = an average month)122November: 104 (100 = an average month)December: 117 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

New homes

3,769 permits · busiest February, quietest August

January: 96 (100 = an average month)February: 176 (100 = an average month)176March: 126 (100 = an average month)April: 128 (100 = an average month)May: 70 (100 = an average month)June: 97 (100 = an average month)July: 67 (100 = an average month)August: 60 (100 = an average month)September: 133 (100 = an average month)October: 68 (100 = an average month)November: 68 (100 = an average month)December: 111 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Fences & walls

3,639 permits · busiest April, quietest July

January: 103 (100 = an average month)February: 79 (100 = an average month)March: 147 (100 = an average month)April: 166 (100 = an average month)166May: 122 (100 = an average month)June: 89 (100 = an average month)July: 60 (100 = an average month)August: 69 (100 = an average month)September: 83 (100 = an average month)October: 97 (100 = an average month)November: 105 (100 = an average month)December: 81 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

HVAC

1,833 permits · busiest July, quietest January

January: 68 (100 = an average month)February: 76 (100 = an average month)March: 84 (100 = an average month)April: 103 (100 = an average month)May: 113 (100 = an average month)June: 103 (100 = an average month)July: 163 (100 = an average month)163August: 120 (100 = an average month)September: 115 (100 = an average month)October: 92 (100 = an average month)November: 79 (100 = an average month)December: 84 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Plumbing

1,813 permits · busiest July, quietest November

January: 91 (100 = an average month)February: 97 (100 = an average month)March: 100 (100 = an average month)April: 111 (100 = an average month)May: 94 (100 = an average month)June: 99 (100 = an average month)July: 130 (100 = an average month)130August: 113 (100 = an average month)September: 95 (100 = an average month)October: 116 (100 = an average month)November: 72 (100 = an average month)December: 83 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Garages, sheds & shade structures

1,657 permits · busiest April, quietest January

January: 83 (100 = an average month)February: 94 (100 = an average month)March: 122 (100 = an average month)April: 125 (100 = an average month)125May: 100 (100 = an average month)June: 93 (100 = an average month)July: 102 (100 = an average month)August: 91 (100 = an average month)September: 114 (100 = an average month)October: 88 (100 = an average month)November: 93 (100 = an average month)December: 94 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Roofing

973 permits · busiest October, quietest January

January: 76 (100 = an average month)February: 86 (100 = an average month)March: 113 (100 = an average month)April: 142 (100 = an average month)May: 102 (100 = an average month)June: 91 (100 = an average month)July: 102 (100 = an average month)August: 91 (100 = an average month)September: 85 (100 = an average month)October: 146 (100 = an average month)146November: 84 (100 = an average month)December: 80 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND
The same numbers as a table
Kind of workJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Electrical7686117123103106971121071008094
Solar8979102105101859399103122104117
New homes96176126128709767601336868111
Fences & walls10379147166122896069839710581
HVAC687684103113103163120115927984
Plumbing91971001119499130113951167283
Garages, sheds & shade structures83941221251009310291114889394
Roofing76861131421029110291851468480

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Homes and everything else

How the county classed each permit. Other covers commercial buildings, signs, towers and similar work.

Permit classPermitsShareLast 12 mo
Homes (residential)21,37779%10,097
Other5,83221%2,775

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How many permits get finished

Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, so each has had at least 12 months to reach a final. Finished means the county recorded a final inspection or marked it complete; expired means it lapsed without one.

StatusPermitsShare
Finished11,05777.1%
Still open9166.4%
Expired2,36416.5%

How long each kind of permit takes →

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How Riverside County compares with other cities

From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.

Nearby permit data

Permit statistics for other places in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Each permit office keeps its own file, so the numbers are not added together.

Anaheim, CALos Angeles, CACulver City, CACorona, CA

How these numbers are made

Source: Riverside County GIS Open Data, PLUS_ACTIVITIES (Public Land Use System), Building department records, read 23 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.

Permits Riverside County Building and Safety issues for unincorporated land only: places such as Thermal, Mecca, Winchester, French Valley, Mead Valley, Anza, Aguanga, Temescal Valley and the Temecula wine country. Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Palm Springs and the county's other incorporated cities (28 in all) run their own permit offices and are not in this file. Blythe permits, which the county keeps under their own permit type, are left out too.

  • The county's file names no contractor, so there are no contractor lists, rankings or firm pages for Riverside County.
  • The file has no declared job value, so we show no costs.
  • The file gives a parcel number but no ZIP code, so there are no ZIP code pages.
  • Tract builders file one permit per house, so a new subdivision shows as many new-home permits, often with a matching repeat-production wall permit for each lot.
  • Battery storage permits are counted as electrical; rooftop and ground-mount solar as solar.
  • A final date is the county's completed date on a permit marked Final. Administratively closed permits count as expired.
  • Grading, hourly inspection, agricultural fee-only and legacy converted records are left out.

Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →

Cite this page

Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:

Contractor Records, "Unincorporated Riverside County, CA building permit statistics", https://contractorrecords.com/riverside-county/permit-statistics, data through September 2026, from Riverside County Building and Safety building-permit records.

Link to a table: By kind of work · By year · By month · When each kind of work is filed · Homes and everything else · How many get finished.

Download the tables (CSV): Permits by kind of work · Permits by year · Permits by month · Permits by calendar month (index) · Homes and other permits · Finished, open and expired.

Common questions

  • How many building permits does Riverside County issue a year?About 13,604 a year in unincorporated Riverside County: 27,209 permits over 24 months, October 2024 through September 2026. 12,872 permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 10% fewer than the 14,337 in the 12 months before.
  • Are building permits up or down in Riverside County?12,872 permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 10% fewer than the 14,337 in the 12 months before. HVAC permits grew most (894 to 939); fence and wall permits fell most (2,003 to 1,636).
  • What is the busiest month for permits in Riverside County?April, counting every kind of work (122 against an average month of 100). November is the quietest (87). Each kind of work has its own season; the charts above show them.
  • What share of Riverside County permits are for homes?79%: 21,377 of the 27,209 permits issued October 2024 through September 2026 were residential permits.
Riverside County permit data →How long permits take in Riverside County →Riverside County electrical permits →Riverside County solar permits →Riverside County new home permits →Browse Riverside County permits →