By StartBusinessByStatePublisher: Robert SmithResearch process
Several states now give local governments a deadline, sometimes called a “shot clock,” to decide on certain permits. We checked how those deadlines compare with how long home building and remodel permits actually took in Chicago, Austin, Seattle and San Francisco in 2025, using each city’s own open data.
Key findings
- In 2025 the typical (median) remodel or addition permit took 29 days in Seattle, 53 in Chicago, 70 in Austin and about 186 in San Francisco, from application to issue.
- For new homes, the median was 59 days in Chicago, 66 in Austin, about 188 in Seattle and 771 in San Francisco (only 55 permits).
- Only 36% of Austin’s and 43% of Chicago’s new-home permits issued in 2025 came out within 45 days. In San Francisco and Seattle it was under 6%.
- Austin is the one city where records are consistent enough to compare years: its median for new homes rose from 28 days in 2019 to 66 days in 2025.
What the state laws say
| State | What it covers | Deadline | If the deadline is missed | In effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia (SB 447) | Land-disturbance permits; building permit status tracking | 45 days; 20 days after first resubmittal, 14 after later ones | Fees refunded; applicant can go to court | July 1, 2026 (tracking sites by Jan. 1, 2028) |
| Wyoming (Fast Track Permits Act) | Building permits for 1–2 unit homes | 10 business days to flag gaps; 30 calendar days to decide | Deemed approved; inspections still required | July 1, 2026 |
| Kansas (K.S.A. 12-16,226) | Local government permit applications | 15 days to flag gaps; 60 days to decide | Deemed approved | 2025 |
| Nebraska (LB 663) | County conditional-use permits and special exceptions (not building permits) | 90 days after a complete application | Automatic approval | 2026 |
Note: Oregon’s proposed 45-business-day rule (SB 6, 2025) was not enacted. In most of these laws, the clock starts only once an application is complete, and some let both sides agree to extend it.
Contractors often need proof of coverage before a permit is issued; see our guides to plumbing insurance in California, plumbing insurance in Washington and plumbing insurance in Illinois.
2025 permit times by city
| City | Permit type | Permits | Median days | 90th percentile days | Within 30 days | Within 45 days | Within 60 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | New construction | 1,460 | 59 | 221 | 35% | 43% | 51% |
| Chicago | Renovation/addition | 5,504 | 53 | 204 | 34% | 45% | 54% |
| Austin | New home | 3,329 | 66 | 293 | 27% | 36% | 47% |
| Austin | Addition/remodel | 1,261 | 70 | 315 | 21% | 32% | 43% |
| Seattle | New single-family/duplex | 894 | 188 | 539 | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Seattle | Addition/alteration | 2,669 | 29 | 185 | 51% | 57% | 63% |
| San Francisco | New construction | 55 | 771 | 1,965 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| San Francisco | Alterations | 1,168 | 186 | 1,060 | 4% | 7% | 11% |
Counted from the application date to the issue date, in calendar days, for permits issued in 2025.
Why these numbers are not a direct test of the laws
- None of these four cities is in a state with a shot-clock law, so the table shows what a deadline would be measured against, not whether a law works.
- Shot clocks usually start when an application is complete. City data starts at first filing, so time spent fixing an incomplete application counts here.
- Only issued permits are included. Permits still waiting or withdrawn are left out, so real waits are likely longer.
- Cities define permit types and dates differently, so compare a city with itself more than with other cities.
- Chicago and Seattle changed how they record dates after 2019 (many older records show same-day issue), so we do not compare their 2019 and 2025 figures.
What this means if you are starting a trade business
If you plan to build or remodel homes, build permit time into job quotes and cash flow. In these cities a 2–3 month wait was normal in 2025, and 1 in 10 permits took 6 months or more. See contractor license requirements by state, and our guides to starting an electrical, plumbing or HVAC business. For the bigger picture, see housing permits vs. builder jobs by state.
Sources
City open-data portals: Chicago (ydr8-5enu), Austin (3syk-w9eu), Seattle (76t5-zqzr), San Francisco (i98e-djp9). Georgia SB 447 as passed; Wyoming HB0002 enrolled act; Kansas K.S.A. 12-16,226; Nebraska governor’s office on LB 663; Oregon Legislature record for SB 6 (2025).