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Illinois · Permit Data

Chicago Building Permits

Data updated October 30, 2026. Newest permit in the feed: October 29, 2026. Source: Chicago Data Portal: Building Permits.

By the Home Permit Guide Editorial Team 2 official sources

Reviewed by Carlos Aldaba, CBO, Certified Building Official (ICC), Building Code & Permitting Consultant ·

How to Look Up a Permit
Issued in October 2026 to date
2,640
Issued in the last 30 days
2,801
Median days, application to issue
6

These figures cover every permit in Chicago Data Portal: Building Permits, not only home projects. The last 30 days run from September 30, 2026 to October 29, 2026. That is 6% above the average of 2,650 permits a month over the previous 12 full months.

Top Permit Types in the Last 30 Days

Permit typePermitsShare
Express Permit Program1,83866%
Renovation/Alteration45516%
New Construction1636%
Signs1435%
Elevator Equipment1214%
Wrecking/Demolition552%
Reinstate Revoked Permit261%

Chicago's Express Permit Program does most of the city's routine work. In the 30 days to October 29, 2026, 1,838 of 2,801 permits came through it, against 455 standard renovation and alteration permits. Express permits cover jobs such as like-for-like repairs and some electrical work, and they help keep the citywide median at 6 days from application to issue.

Chicago's dataset names the contractor on 85% of recent permits and records the community area for each one. In the last 30 days the busiest were Near North Side (223), Loop (185) and Near West Side (126).

12-Month Permit Trend in Chicago

3189 Oct 2357 Nov 2074 Dec 1929 Jan 1996 Feb 2606 Mar 2845 Apr 2757 May 2900 Jun 2923 Jul 3043 Aug 3179 Sep 2640 Oct
Building permits issued per month in Chicago. Lighter bar = current month to date.
MonthPermits issued
October 20253,189
November 20252,357
December 20252,074
January 20261,929
February 20261,996
March 20262,606
April 20262,845
May 20262,757
June 20262,900
July 20262,923
August 20263,043
September 20263,179
October 2026 (to date)2,640

Over the 12 full months, the busiest was October 2025 with 3,189 permits and the quietest was January 2026 with 1,929.

Busiest Areas in the Last 30 Days

Community areaPermits
Near North Side223
Loop185
Near West Side126
West Town113
Lake View110
Lincoln Park90
Logan Square86
Austin77
Auburn Gresham66
Edgewater57

Recent Permits

The 15 most recent permits in the feed. We show the community area rather than the street address, and never owner names.

IssuedTypeCommunity areaContractor
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramAustinCERTIFIED ELECTRIC LLC
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramSouth ShoreLABOTZ INC
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramUptownFORTUNE RESTORATION
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramWest TownMP GENERAL CONTRACTORS INC
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramSouth DeeringERIE CONSTRUCTION MID-WEST, LLC
2026-10-29New ConstructionNear West SideADICORP ELECTRIC INC
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramLoopFOX VALLEY FIRE AND SAFETY CO
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramWest TownCORONA CRAFT RESTORATION
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramNear North SideWINDY CITY HVAC INC
2026-10-29Renovation/AlterationChicago LawnBLUE LINE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTO
2026-10-29Renovation/AlterationLoopS & M ELECTRIC, INC.
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramDouglasA.B.C. PLUMBING, HEATING, COOLING & ELECTRIC, INC.
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramWest Garfield ParkCAMPANILE CONSTRUCTION & DESIG
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramPortage ParkSTANLEY & SONS CONSTRUCTION, I
2026-10-29Express Permit ProgramWashington HeightsBANDA PLUMBING INCORPORATED

How to Look Up a Building Permit in Chicago

  1. City of Chicago: Building Permit and Inspection Records: Open the City of Chicago Building Permit and Inspection Records search.
  2. Search by the property address.
  3. Pick the matching address from the results to list its permits and inspections.
  4. Open a permit to see its details and inspection history.
  5. To check recent permits in bulk, use the Chicago Data Portal building permits dataset, which also lists the fees paid on each permit.

For what a record's fields mean, see How to Read a Building Permit Record. For lookups in other cities, see How to Look Up Building Permits for a House.

Chicago Project Permit Pages

Rules for specific home projects in Chicago, each checked against official city sources:

Frequently Asked Questions

How many building permits does Chicago issue?

Chicago issued 2,801 permits in the 30 days to October 29, 2026, and an average of 2,650 a month over the 12 full months before October 2026, according to Chicago Data Portal: Building Permits.

How long does it take to get a building permit in Chicago?

For permits issued in the 30 days to October 29, 2026, the median time from application to issue was 6 days. Simple permits are often issued much faster than projects that need full plan review.

How do I look up a building permit in Chicago?

Use the City of Chicago: Building Permit and Inspection Records. Search by the property address.

What is the most common permit type in Chicago?

Express Permit Program, with 1,838 of the 2,801 permits issued in the 30 days to October 29, 2026.

Back to Chicago Building Permits for Home Projects.

Sources

Official sources checked on . Rules change; confirm with the department before you start work.

  1. City of Chicago: Building Permit and Inspection Records (linked above) (webapps1.chicago.gov)
  2. Chicago Data Portal: Building Permits (data.cityofchicago.org)

Statistics computed by Home Permit Guide from Chicago Data Portal: Building Permits, fetched October 30, 2026.