Citywide permit type
Renovation & Alteration processing times
Across Chicago, 36,906 issued renovation & alteration permits had a median processing time of 28 days.
Records checked36,9062021–Sep. 15, 2026
The short answer
Typical wait28 daysmedian issued permit
Usually within85 days75% of records
Long-wait edge169 days90% of records
Evidence36,906issued permits
The median was 8 days slower 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.
Change over time
Annual permit timing
| Issue year | Records | Median | 75th percentile | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,290 | 2 days | 50 days | 119 days |
| 2022 | 7,730 | 2 days | 53 days | 134 days |
| 2023 | 6,404 | 24 days | 84 days | 174 days |
| 2024 | 6,170 | 43 days | 98 days | 194 days |
| 2025 | 5,483 | 53 days | 109 days | 201 days |
| 2026* | 3,829 | 59 days | 123 days | 209 days |
*2026 is partial through Sep. 15. Year labels use the permit issue date, not the application date.
Context
All permit types, from shortest to longest median
| Report | Median | 75% within | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Permit Process | 0 days | 1 day | 33,486 |
| Elevator Equipment | 0 days | 0 days | 6,546 |
| Reinstated Permit | 0 days | 0 days | 1,775 |
| Scaffolding | 0 days | 0 days | 1,019 |
| Wrecking & Demolition | 0 days | 55 days | 4,023 |
| Express Permit Program | 1 day | 8 days | 91,329 |
| Signs | 23 days | 61 days | 13,362 |
| New Construction | 27 days | 92 days | 8,073 |
| Renovation & Alteration | 28 days | 85 days | 36,906 |