Chicago Construction Permits by Month
The City of Chicago issued 7,602 construction permits in the twelve months to September 2026. The busiest month was July 2026, with 749.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
Permits issued in Chicago, month by month
| Month | Permits issued | Against a year earlier | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 714 | +1% | |
| August 2026 | 725 | +6% | |
| July 2026 | 749 | -3% | |
| June 2026 | 616 | -12% | |
| May 2026 | 668 | +4% | |
| April 2026 | 718 | -1% | |
| March 2026 | 624 | +12% | |
| February 2026 | 509 | +5% | |
| January 2026 | 532 | -12% | |
| December 2025 | 519 | ||
| November 2025 | 510 | ||
| October 2025 | 718 | ||
| September 2025 | 710 | ||
| August 2025 | 682 | ||
| July 2025 | 771 | ||
| June 2025 | 699 | ||
| May 2025 | 643 | ||
| April 2025 | 725 | ||
| March 2025 | 557 | ||
| February 2025 | 484 | ||
| January 2025 | 608 |
Read October 9, 2026 from Builtie's permit data.
A month is marked incomplete when its count is under half of the market's usual month: that is the city's publishing lag, not a slowdown.
What the Chicago data covers
Chicago issues one combined permit per project, so the name on it is usually the general contractor or developer, which is the company a trade wants to reach.
Building types: new residential construction, residential renovation, new commercial construction, commercial renovation, new institutional construction, institutional renovation, industrial renovation. Every trade: Chicago construction leads by trade.
Plans
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from CAD $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Frequently asked questions
How many construction permits does Chicago issue a month?
About 633 on average over the twelve months to September 2026; the busiest was July 2026 with 749.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the City of Chicago's building permits, read by Builtie October 9, 2026.
What does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. There is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects.