Independent analysis of City of Chicago recordsData through Sep. 15, 2026

Community area × permit type

Renovation & Alteration permits in Lower West Side

The typical renovation & alteration permit issued in Lower West Side took 48 days. The 75th-percentile wait was 118 days.

Records checked5602021–Sep. 15, 2026

The short answer

Typical wait48 daysmedian issued permit
Usually within118 days75% of records
Long-wait edge241 days90% of records
Evidence560issued permits

The median was 5.5 days faster than the previous 12 months.

How the waits are distributed

Median is only the middle. This shows how often issued permits fell into each elapsed-time band.

Same day
17.0%
1–7 days
10.0%
8–30 days
14.3%
31–90 days
25.4%
91+ days
33.4%

Change over time

Annual permit timing

Issue yearRecordsMedian75th percentile90th percentile
2021976 days58 days151 days
202212327 days94 days182 days
202310142 days130 days223 days
202410662 days175 days338 days
20258583 days145 days258 days
2026*4876 days137 days259 days

*2026 is partial through Sep. 15. Year labels use the permit issue date, not the application date.

Context

Renovation & Alteration timing in comparable community areas

ReportMedian75% withinRecords
Archer Heights48 days104 days109
Belmont Cragin48 days117 days389
Lower West Side48 days118 days560
South Lawndale48 days115 days504
Near South Side48 days106 days238
Kenwood47 days108 days233
North Park47 days120 days213
Norwood Park47 days105 days356