- Issued in October 2026 to date
- 3,859
- Issued in the last 30 days
- 4,021
- Median days, application to issue
- Not published
These figures cover every permit in OpenDataPhilly: Licenses and Inspections Building and Zoning Permits, not only home projects. The last 30 days run from September 30, 2026 to October 29, 2026. That is 4% above the average of 3,864 permits a month over the previous 12 full months.
Top Permit Types in the Last 30 Days
| Permit type | Permits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing Permit | 1,236 | 31% |
| Electrical Permit | 806 | 20% |
| Residential Building Permit | 395 | 10% |
| Zoning Permit | 363 | 9% |
| Mechanical / Fuel Gas Permit | 349 | 9% |
| General Permit Minor | 298 | 7% |
| Commercial Building Permit | 218 | 5% |
| Fire Suppression Permit | 153 | 4% |
Philadelphia's feed counts every L&I permit, and trade permits make up most of it. In the 30 days to October 29, 2026, 1,236 plumbing and 806 electrical permits were issued, against 395 residential building permits and 363 zoning permits. A single rowhouse renovation can account for several of these.
The dataset does not include an application date, so we cannot measure how long Philadelphia takes to issue a permit. It does name the contractor on 84% of recent permits, and it records the ZIP code of each site: 19146 (214), 19104 (212) and 19134 (167) were the busiest in the last 30 days.
12-Month Permit Trend in Philadelphia
| Month | Permits issued |
|---|---|
| October 2025 | 4,585 |
| November 2025 | 3,323 |
| December 2025 | 3,600 |
| January 2026 | 3,391 |
| February 2026 | 3,485 |
| March 2026 | 4,341 |
| April 2026 | 3,990 |
| May 2026 | 4,037 |
| June 2026 | 4,120 |
| July 2026 | 3,978 |
| August 2026 | 3,852 |
| September 2026 | 3,661 |
| October 2026 (to date) | 3,859 |
Over the 12 full months, the busiest was October 2025 with 4,585 permits and the quietest was November 2025 with 3,323.
Busiest Areas in the Last 30 Days
| ZIP code | Permits |
|---|---|
| 19146 | 214 |
| 19104 | 212 |
| 19134 | 167 |
| 19133 | 161 |
| 19147 | 153 |
| 19143 | 146 |
| 19125 | 144 |
| 19140 | 144 |
| 19148 | 139 |
| 19145 | 136 |
Recent Permits
The 15 most recent permits in the feed. We show the zip code rather than the street address, and never owner names.
| Issued | Type | ZIP code | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19144 | Not listed |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19119 | Magdalis Melo |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19122 | Swift Expediting LLC |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19148 | Not listed |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19139 | Not listed |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19143 | Marangelly Burgos |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19131 | Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19146 | Mark R. Shearman |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19124 | Magdalis Melo |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19145 | Cornerstone Consulting |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19139 | Eric Watson Jr |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19103 | Robert P Cocco |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19111 | Fialco Properties INC |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19111 | Fialco Properties INC |
| 2026-10-29 | Zoning Permit | 19123 | Harman Deutsch Corp |
How to Look Up a Building Permit in Philadelphia
- Atlas: Open Atlas, the City of Philadelphia's property lookup.
- Type the address into the search box. Atlas also accepts an intersection, a property assessment account number or a Department of Records map registry number.
- Open the Licenses & Inspections tab for the address.
- Review the permits, inspections, violations, licenses and zoning permit documents that L&I has on file for that address.
- For business license details, the City points to its eCLIPSE business license search, where you can search by business name, location or license number.
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.
Philadelphia Project Permit Pages
Rules for specific home projects in Philadelphia, each checked against official city sources:
- Do You Need a Roofing Permit in Philadelphia?
- Do You Need an HVAC Permit in Philadelphia?
- Do You Need a Fence Permit in Philadelphia?
- Do You Need a Deck Permit in Philadelphia?
- Philadelphia EZ Permits: Home Projects That Need No Plans
Frequently Asked Questions
How many building permits does Philadelphia issue?
Philadelphia issued 4,021 permits in the 30 days to October 29, 2026, and an average of 3,864 a month over the 12 full months before October 2026, according to OpenDataPhilly: Licenses and Inspections Building and Zoning Permits.
How long does it take to get a building permit in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia's dataset does not publish the dates needed to measure this.
How do I look up a building permit in Philadelphia?
Use the Atlas. Type the address into the search box. Atlas also accepts an intersection, a property assessment account number or a Department of Records map registry number.
What is the most common permit type in Philadelphia?
Plumbing Permit, with 1,236 of the 4,021 permits issued in the 30 days to October 29, 2026.
Back to Philadelphia Building Permits for Home Projects.
Sources
Official sources checked on . Rules change; confirm with the department before you start work.
- Atlas (linked above) (atlas.phila.gov)
- City of Philadelphia: Search for Property History and Business License Information (phila.gov)
- OpenDataPhilly: Licenses and Inspections Building and Zoning Permits (opendataphilly.org)
Statistics computed by Home Permit Guide from OpenDataPhilly: Licenses and Inspections Building and Zoning Permits, fetched October 30, 2026.