# PermitWait

PermitWait is an independent analysis of official City of Chicago building permit records.

## Primary sections
- https://permitwait.com/chicago/ — citywide permit timing report
- https://permitwait.com/chicago/neighborhoods/ — all 77 official community-area reports
- https://permitwait.com/chicago/zip-codes/ — Chicago ZIP-boundary reports
- https://permitwait.com/chicago/permit-types/ — reports by major permit type
- https://permitwait.com/methodology/ — calculation rules and limitations
- https://permitwait.com/data/ — source provenance

## Coverage and definitions
- Records: issued permits dated 2021-01-01 through 2026-09-15
- Typical wait: median City PROCESSING_TIME value
- Cautious range: 75th and 90th percentile elapsed days
- Minimum evidence: 25 records for an area-by-type or ZIP-by-type page
- Exclusions: missing values, negative waits, waits over 730 days, and the current date

## Important limitation
The data covers permits that reached issuance. It does not measure denied or abandoned applications and does not isolate applicant response time from City review time.

## Citation
Suggested citation: PermitWait, "Chicago Permit Processing Times," updated 2026-09-16, based on City of Chicago Building Permits dataset ydr8-5enu.