Citywide permit type
Wrecking & Demolition processing times
Across Chicago, 4,023 issued wrecking & demolition permits had a median processing time of 0 days.
Records checked4,0232021–Sep. 15, 2026
The short answer
Typical wait0 daysmedian issued permit
Usually within55 days75% of records
Long-wait edge109 days90% of records
Evidence4,023issued permits
The median was 29 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 | 886 | 58 days | 95 days | 170 days |
| 2022 | 784 | 0 days | 70 days | 149 days |
| 2023 | 609 | 0 days | 0 days | 0.2 days |
| 2024 | 634 | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days |
| 2025 | 658 | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days |
| 2026* | 452 | 52 days | 79 days | 117 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 |