How long does a building permit take?
Real waits from application to issued permit for new housing, computed from each city's own permit records, not estimates. Calendar days, including the time applicants spend on corrections.
| City | Median days | Middle half | Slowest tenth | Permits | Latest issue date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | 56 | 27–130 | 336 | 2,340 | Oct 19, 2026 |
| Los Angeles | 138 | 73–264 | 544 | 7,987 | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Seattle | 181 | 130–253 | 489 | 1,148 | Oct 16, 2026 |
Trailing one-year window per city, ending at the latest issue date in each city's feed. "Slowest tenth" means one in ten permits waited at least that long.
In this window, a typical new-housing permit in Austin issued in 56 days; in Seattle it took 181 days.
By project type
- Austin: new single-family homes (median 50 days)
- Austin: two-unit homes and secondary apartments (median 127 days)
- Los Angeles: new ADUs (median 160 days)
- Seattle: ADUs and DADUs (median 180 days)
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