PERMIT RECORD · CHICAGO, IL
Chicago, IL building permits
789,134 permits issued between 2006 and 2026, naming 35,323 companies. In the last twelve months: 31,090 permits from 7,211 companies.
What gets permitted here
| Trade | Permits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 513,404 | 65.1% |
| General construction | 381,524 | 48.3% |
| Plumbing | 160,449 | 20.3% |
| Mechanical / HVAC | 121,524 | 15.4% |
| Signage | 36,411 | 4.6% |
| Elevator | 22,152 | 2.8% |
| Demolition | 18,827 | 2.4% |
Counts are distinct permit numbers as classified by the issuing authority. A permit is a filing, not a completed job.
Activity by year
| Year | Permits |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 41,915 |
| 2007 | 42,966 |
| 2008 | 38,382 |
| 2009 | 35,809 |
| 2010 | 35,624 |
| 2011 | 34,358 |
| 2012 | 36,121 |
| 2013 | 38,221 |
| 2014 | 41,321 |
| 2015 | 42,203 |
| 2016 | 43,280 |
| 2017 | 44,607 |
| 2018 | 44,054 |
| 2019 | 45,512 |
| 2020 | 36,617 |
| 2021 | 37,059 |
| 2022 | 36,141 |
| 2023 | 32,509 |
| 2024 | 32,165 |
| 2025 | 30,463 |
| 2026 | 19,807 |
Most active companies, last 12 months
| Company | Permits |
|---|---|
| Sunrun Installation Services Inc | 1685 |
| Sunrun Installation Services | 991 |
| Current Electric, LLC | 441 |
| Frackiel Builders, Incorporated | 314 |
| Current Communications Corp. | 298 |
| Blue Line Electrical Contracto | 285 |
| Texa Engineering | 283 |
| Chavez Electric | 279 |
| Peerless Enterprises LLC | 217 |
| Maron Electric Company | 206 |
Ranked by permit count, which measures filing volume — not revenue, crew size or quality. Company histories for Chicago are searchable but not yet published as pages. Search them →
What the work looks like
Work type
| Electrical Work | 5,952 |
| Small-Scale Solar PV System | 3,749 |
| Nonstructural Interior Work | 2,474 |
| Masonry Work | 2,443 |
| Administrative Change | 2,133 |
| Detached Frame Garage | 1,386 |
Last twelve months, as published by the issuing authority.
Get told when this changes
We send new permits matching what you are looking at — the same public records shown on this page, as they are issued.
Source
City of Chicago Building Permits (Socrata ydr8-5enu). Records are refreshed daily and every figure on this page counts distinct permit numbers. Verify any individual record with the issuing authority before acting on it. How we build these records →