Weekly permit insights
Chicago Building Permits
Free weekly building-permit insights for Chicago, IL, computed from Chicago Data Portal, 1,922 permits filed in the latest period (through 2026-07-03), with the week-over-week trend and the busiest renovation, solar, pool, and remodel categories.
Updated weekly · latest data through 2026-07-03
Weekly trend: Apr 25: 78 · May 2: 495 · May 9: 474 · May 16: 475 · May 23: 388 · May 30: 476 · Jun 6: 420 · Jun 13: 422 · Jun 20: 518 · Jun 27: 398
Permits by trade in Chicago
| Trade | This period | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 671 | 34.9% |
| Roofing | 280 | 14.6% |
| Plumbing | 166 | 8.6% |
| HVAC | 152 | 7.9% |
| Solar | 133 | 6.9% |
| Pool & Spa | 6 | 0.3% |
Nearby and related permit markets
Compare Chicago with weekly building-permit activity in nearby and same-state markets.
Frequently asked questions
How often is Chicago building permit data updated?
Weekly. Permit Ledger pulls Chicago's building permits from Chicago Data Portal every week, then recomputes the total filed, the week-over-week trend, and the busiest permit and trade categories.
Is Chicago building permit data free?
Yes. The weekly Chicago overview is free to browse, total permits filed, the trend, and the top permit and trade types. The $39/mo dashboard adds the top ZIP codes, the most-active contractors, and a Monday email.
What types of permits does Permit Ledger track in Chicago?
Renovation, remodel, addition, and repair permits, plus solar and pool/spa trade permits. Each permit is classified into a single clear category, so you can scan the residential and trade work most useful to contractors, suppliers, and investors.
Where does Chicago's permit data come from?
Official public records from Chicago Data Portal, normalized into one consistent weekly format so every city reads the same way.
Which parts of Chicago have the most building-permit activity?
Permit activity spans Chicago's 77 community areas across the North, South, and West Sides. The free weekly overview shows the busiest permit and trade types citywide, while the $39/mo dashboard ranks the specific top ZIP codes filing the most work each week.
Does Permit Ledger cover the Chicago suburbs and metro?
The Chicago page tracks permits filed with the City of Chicago. Several nearby Illinois markets, including Naperville, Cook County, and Lake County, have their own Permit Ledger pages listed under nearby and related permit markets.