42,447 permits from 3,649 contractors across 13 kinds of work in the City of San Diego, October 2023 through September 2026: about 14,149 a year. Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) is the biggest trade with 20,942 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, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | 20,942 | 1,521 | 740 | — | 60.0% | 84 | August |
| Solar | 10,027 | 423 | 231 | — | 73.6% | 72 | October |
| Electrical | 2,265 | 576 | 285 | — | 76.6% | 71 | March |
| Plumbing | 1,844 | 375 | 163 | — | 65.6% | 41 | January |
| HVAC | 1,839 | 177 | 96 | — | 60.6% | 103 | July |
| Remodel & Alteration | 1,681 | 534 | 260 | $18,998 | 77.7% | 162 | July |
| ADU (Companion Unit) | 1,278 | 640 | 258 | $127,372 | 73.8% | 442 | April |
| Addition | 671 | 422 | 167 | $85,351 | 82.0% | 343 | April |
| Pool & Spa | 525 | 133 | 69 | $51,300 | 91.5% | 244 | January |
| Damage Repair | 400 | 177 | 79 | $14,000 | 79.1% | 206 | June |
| New Home | 389 | 91 | 38 | $383,691 | 91.0% | 358 | December |
| Foundation & Seismic Retrofit | 344 | 59 | 32 | $10,000 | 85.7% | 105 | March |
| Patio Cover, Garage & Accessory Structure | 242 | 168 | 52 | $18,925 | 91.0% | 183 | October |
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 13 kinds of home work we track, not every permit San Diego issues.
| Period | Months | Permits | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Sep 2025 | 24 | 29,194 | 14,597 |
| Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (last 12 months) | 12 | 13,253 | 13,253 |
Share of filings by month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). The 9 biggest trades (every trade with 500 or more permits), 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.
20,942 permits · busiest August, quietest September
10,027 permits · busiest October, quietest January
2,265 permits · busiest March, quietest November
1,844 permits · busiest January, quietest September
1,839 permits · busiest July, quietest May
1,681 permits · busiest July, quietest December
1,278 permits · busiest April, quietest September
671 permits · busiest April, quietest September
525 permits · busiest January, quietest September
| Trade | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | 112 | 100 | 103 | 100 | 96 | 93 | 108 | 112 | 83 | 102 | 92 | 100 |
| Solar | 87 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 93 | 87 | 91 | 118 | 96 | 143 | 109 | 98 |
| Electrical | 86 | 103 | 167 | 108 | 92 | 94 | 102 | 111 | 88 | 94 | 72 | 85 |
| Plumbing | 124 | 97 | 95 | 120 | 111 | 94 | 107 | 90 | 61 | 107 | 96 | 99 |
| HVAC | 95 | 95 | 85 | 95 | 78 | 92 | 138 | 133 | 98 | 118 | 79 | 94 |
| Remodel & Alteration | 90 | 111 | 84 | 119 | 80 | 116 | 144 | 123 | 104 | 109 | 61 | 59 |
| ADU (Companion Unit) | 91 | 91 | 115 | 134 | 121 | 101 | 90 | 120 | 58 | 106 | 102 | 73 |
| Addition | 105 | 88 | 104 | 127 | 125 | 91 | 111 | 88 | 79 | 120 | 80 | 84 |
| Pool & Spa | 130 | 116 | 91 | 114 | 116 | 71 | 94 | 82 | 52 | 128 | 91 | 114 |
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.
August: San Diego electrical, plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) permits peak in August (112 against an average month of 100, about 9% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (83). That is from 20,942 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical, plumbing and HVAC work, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 84 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, plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) chart →
October: San Diego solar permits peak in October (143 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); January is the quietest (87). That is from 10,027 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 72 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 →
March: San Diego electrical permits peak in March (167 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); November is the quietest (72). That is from 2,265 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule electrical work, November has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 71 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 →
January: San Diego plumbing permits peak in January (124 against an average month of 100, about 10% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (61). That is from 1,844 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule plumbing work, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 41 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 →
July: San Diego HVAC permits peak in July (138 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); May is the quietest (78). That is from 1,839 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule HVAC work, May has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 103 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: San Diego remodel & alteration permits peak in July (144 against an average month of 100, about 12% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (59). That is from 1,681 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home remodel, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 162 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 & alteration chart →
April: San Diego ADU (companion unit) permits peak in April (134 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (58). That is from 1,278 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule ADU construction, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 442 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 ADU (companion unit) chart →
April: San Diego addition permits peak in April (127 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (79). That is from 671 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a home addition, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 343 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 addition chart →
January: San Diego pool & spa permits peak in January (130 against an average month of 100, about 11% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (52). That is from 525 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule a pool build, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 244 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 pool & spa chart →
June: San Diego damage repair permits peak in June (158 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); December is the quietest (42). That is from 400 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule damage repair work, December has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 206 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.
December: San Diego new home permits peak in December (200 against an average month of 100, about 17% of a year's filings); June is the quietest (28). That is from 389 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule new home construction, June has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 358 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.
March: San Diego foundation & seismic retrofit permits peak in March (164 against an average month of 100, about 14% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (49). That is from 344 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule foundation work, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 105 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.
October: San Diego patio cover, garage & accessory structure permits peak in October (153 against an average month of 100, about 13% of a year's filings); September is the quietest (54). That is from 242 permits, October 2023 through September 2026. If you can choose when to schedule garage and accessory building work, September has the fewest filings; the usual permit then takes 183 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asi Hastings Inc | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC | 1,186 | 3,826 |
| Sunrun | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Solar, Electrical | 1,123 | 3,979 |
| Walter Anderson Plumbing | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Plumbing, HVAC, ADU (Companion Unit) | 661 | 2,219 |
| California Mechanical | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Plumbing | 503 | 2,077 |
| Baker Electric Home Energy | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Solar, Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC, Patio Cover, Garage & Accessory Structure | 360 | 1,516 |
| Archon Energy Solutions | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Plumbing, HVAC | 342 | 1,189 |
| A R S American Residential Services of California Inc | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Plumbing | 287 | 863 |
| West Coast Heating Air Solar | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Plumbing, HVAC | 271 | 292 |
| Stellar Solar | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Solar, Electrical | 206 | 508 |
| Lgcy Electric | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan), Solar, Electrical, Remodel & Alteration | 176 | 356 |
Each permit counted at its property's ZIP code, October 2023 through September 2026, for the 13 kinds of home work we track. The 10 busiest of 33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92114 | 2,421 | 6% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $312,000 |
| 92126 | 2,287 | 5% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $444,000 |
| 92128 | 2,286 | 5% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $705,000 |
| 92117 | 2,208 | 5% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $509,000 |
| 92037 | 2,205 | 5% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $1,761,000 |
| 92130 | 2,023 | 5% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $1,219,000 |
| 92129 | 1,918 | 5% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $662,000 |
| 92111 | 1,804 | 4% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $462,000 |
| 92154 | 1,797 | 4% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $394,000 |
| 92131 | 1,738 | 4% | Electrical, Plumbing & HVAC (no-plan) | $862,000 |
Source: City of San Diego Development Services approvals. 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. 60.2% of the 3,649 firms on the file match an active license at the California Contractors State License Board master file; the match goes by name and can miss one.
Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. How the records work in San Diego →
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