Data Watch: Building Permits

Less than a month is common. The remainder of permits (76 percent) require multiple days for approval. Of those, most (83 percent for first-time applicants, 77 percent for experienced) take less than a month to obtain. Notably, a greater share of experienced applicants (10 percent) had building permit approval take four or more months, while only 3 percent of first-timers faced that timeline. “Homeowners who have gone through a permit process once before may be more willing to embark on projects with greater structural or design complexities than first-time applicants,” says Nino Sitchinava, Houzz’s principal economist. “As a result of these complexities, the application review process may extend beyond typical ranges to include additional review cycles by planning, zoning, public works or other local commissions.”