Data through September 2026 · updated 19 Oct 2026
The usual permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 162 days from issue to the city's final inspection; the middle half take 62 to 287 days. That is from 10,895 permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 that reached a final. Garage, shed and shade structure permits are quickest at 36 days; new home permits take longest at 285 days. This is the time 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 the plans. Ask the city for its current review times.
Finishing the work (measured here): issue → final. From the day the city issued the permit to the day it recorded the final inspection. We count only permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends, so slow jobs have had time to finish; a permit still open is not in the days.
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025. Usual days is the middle permit among those with a final date: half finished sooner, half later. Middle half is the range the middle 50% fell in. Kinds of work with fewer than 100 permits in that period are left out.
| Kind of work | Permits | Finished | Expired | Usual days to final | Middle half (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 2,355 | 88.4% | 0.5% | 202 | 107–312 |
| Remodels & repairs | 2,165 | 87.0% | 1.3% | 82 | 27–233 |
| HVAC | 2,195 | 92.9% | 0.1% | 175 | 79–274 |
| Plumbing | 2,166 | 90.2% | 0.0% | 202 | 112–305 |
| Roofing | 774 | 96.5% | 1.2% | 68 | 18–126 |
| Garages, sheds & shade structures | 792 | 92.4% | 1.4% | 36 | 15–120 |
| New homes | 805 | 80.0% | 0.1% | 285 | 223–374 |
| Demolition | 107 | 80.4% | 7.5% | 275 | 98–382 |
| Other | 867 | 79.5% | 3.5% | 176 | 75–323 |
Each kind of work on its own, issue to the city's final.
The usual electrical permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 202 days from issue to final; the middle half take 107 to 312 days (2,059 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 88% of the 2,355 permits issued then have finished and under 1% expired. Sioux Falls electrical permits →
The usual remodel and repair permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 82 days from issue to final; the middle half take 27 to 233 days (1,882 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 87% of the 2,165 permits issued then have finished and 1% expired. Sioux Falls remodel and repair permits →
The usual HVAC permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 175 days from issue to final; the middle half take 79 to 274 days (2,020 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 93% of the 2,195 permits issued then have finished and under 1% expired. Sioux Falls HVAC permits →
The usual plumbing permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 202 days from issue to final; the middle half take 112 to 305 days (1,939 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 90% of the 2,166 permits issued then have finished and 0% expired. Sioux Falls plumbing permits →
The usual roofing permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 68 days from issue to final; the middle half take 18 to 126 days (743 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 96% of the 774 permits issued then have finished and 1% expired. Sioux Falls roofing permits →
The usual garage, shed and shade structure permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 36 days from issue to final; the middle half take 15 to 120 days (732 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 92% of the 792 permits issued then have finished and 1% expired. Sioux Falls garage, shed and shade structure permits →
The usual new home permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 285 days from issue to final; the middle half take 223 to 374 days (644 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 80% of the 805 permits issued then have finished and under 1% expired. Sioux Falls new home permits →
The usual demolition permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 275 days from issue to final; the middle half take 98 to 382 days (84 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025). 80% of the 107 permits issued then have finished and 8% expired. Sioux Falls demolition permits →
The usual home addition permit in the City of Sioux Falls takes 224 days from issue to final; the middle half take 115 to 335 days (72 permits with a final date, issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025).
From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.
Source: City of Sioux Falls GIS: Building Permits (Data/Community MapServer layer 3), read 19 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.
Residential and commercial building permits the City of Sioux Falls issues inside city limits, in both Minnehaha and Lincoln counties: new homes and buildings, additions, remodels and repairs, re-shingling, decks, pools, demolition, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Brandon, Harrisburg, Tea and the unincorporated parts of both counties run their own permit offices and are not in this file.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Contractor Records, "How long do permits take in the City of Sioux Falls, SD?", https://contractorrecords.com/sioux-falls/how-long-does-a-permit-take, data through September 2026, from City of Sioux Falls Planning & Development Services building-permit records.Link to a table: By kind of work · Each kind of permit.
Download the tables (CSV): Days to final by kind of work.