- Jul – Sep 2026 vs a year earlier
- Data as of Oct 17, 2026
What's being built, and where
Permit counts by kind of work, straight from each city's own records. Every place is compared only with itself: Q3 2026 against the same months a year earlier. Counting rules are on the methodology page.
All permits
What this is: Every permit in each city's records for the period. What it isn't: A count of projects or dollars. Cities count permits differently, so compare each city only with itself.
Show as a table
| Place | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (applications filed) | 6,881 | 4,896 | -29% |
| Chicago | 8,900 | 9,146 | +3% |
| Austin (commercial only) | 3,586 | 4,247 | +18% |
| Seattle | 1,598 | 1,634 | +2% |
| Marin County | 1,193 | 1,153 | -3% |
| Campbell | 548 | 475 | -13% |
What to do with it: See this week's commercial permits by city
Source: San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, Marin County, Campbell permit records. Austin data: City of Austin Development Services Department Chicago data: this report uses data modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org; the City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the data, which is subject to change Marin County permit data: County of Marin, made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Data as of Oct 17, 2026.
EV chargers
What this is: Permits whose record mentions EV chargers or charging stations. What it isn't: The number of chargers installed.
Show as a table
| Place | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (applications filed) | 14 | 36 | too few to compare |
| Chicago | 116 | 100 | -14% |
| Austin (commercial only) | 32 | 16 | -50% · we don't know why yet |
| Seattle | 0 | 2 | too few to compare |
| Marin County | 19 | 41 | too few to compare |
| Campbell | 15 | 24 | too few to compare |
What to do with it: See this week's commercial permits by city
Source: San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, Marin County, Campbell permit records. Austin data: City of Austin Development Services Department Chicago data: this report uses data modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org; the City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the data, which is subject to change Marin County permit data: County of Marin, made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Data as of Oct 17, 2026.
Solar
What this is: Permits whose record mentions solar or photovoltaic (PV) systems. What it isn't: Installed capacity (kW).
Show as a table
| Place | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (applications filed) | 115 | 94 | -18% |
| Chicago | 577 | 706 | +22% |
| Austin (commercial only) | 27 | 44 | +63% · we don't know why yet |
| Seattle | 1 | 1 | too few to compare |
| Campbell | 107 | 75 | -30% |
What to do with it: See this week's commercial permits by city
Source: San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, Campbell permit records. Austin data: City of Austin Development Services Department Chicago data: this report uses data modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org; the City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the data, which is subject to change. Data as of Oct 17, 2026.
Battery storage
What this is: Permits whose record mentions battery or energy storage. What it isn't: Storage capacity (kWh).
Show as a table
| Place | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (applications filed) | 15 | 15 | too few to compare |
| Chicago | 636 | 651 | +2% |
| Austin (commercial only) | 1 | 0 | too few to compare |
| Seattle | 1 | 0 | too few to compare |
| Campbell | 19 | 5 | too few to compare |
What to do with it: See this week's commercial permits by city
Source: San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, Campbell permit records. Austin data: City of Austin Development Services Department Chicago data: this report uses data modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org; the City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the data, which is subject to change. Data as of Oct 17, 2026.
Heat pumps
What this is: Permits whose record mentions heat pumps or mini-splits. What it isn't: Every HVAC job. Many records don't name the equipment.
Show as a table
| Place | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (applications filed) | 32 | 39 | +22% |
| Chicago | 11 | 13 | too few to compare |
| Austin (commercial only) | 20 | 11 | -45% |
| Campbell | 45 | 47 | +4% |
What to do with it: See this week's commercial permits by city
Source: San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Campbell permit records. Austin data: City of Austin Development Services Department Chicago data: this report uses data modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org; the City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the data, which is subject to change. Data as of Oct 17, 2026.
ADUs
What this is: Permits whose record mentions an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). What it isn't: The number of new homes. One ADU can need several permits.
Show as a table
| Place | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (applications filed) | 131 | 112 | -15% |
| Chicago | 24 | 26 | +8% |
| Seattle | 290 | 64 | -78% · we don't know why yet |
| Campbell | 21 | 18 | -14% |
What to do with it: Look up a property's permit history
Source: San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Campbell permit records. Chicago data: this report uses data modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org; the City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the data, which is subject to change. Data as of Oct 17, 2026.
Restaurant build-outs
What this is: Permits whose record mentions a restaurant, café, bakery, brewery or commercial kitchen work. What it isn't: Openings. A permit is planned work, not a business opened.
Show as a table
| Place | Q3 2025 | Q3 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco (applications filed) | 60 | 60 | +0% |
| Chicago | 114 | 103 | -10% |
| Austin (commercial only) | 163 | 174 | +7% |
| Seattle | 26 | 32 | +23% |
| Campbell | 3 | 3 | too few to compare |
What to do with it: Restaurants opening and closing: The Turnover
Source: San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, Campbell permit records. Austin data: City of Austin Development Services Department Chicago data: this report uses data modified for use from its original source, www.cityofchicago.org; the City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the data, which is subject to change. Data as of Oct 17, 2026.
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Read these numbers carefully
A change of 50% or more is marked "we don't know why yet." It may be a real shift, or a change in how a city words or files its records. Fewer than 20 permits in the earlier period shows the counts with no percentage. Los Angeles isn't shown while we confirm its data terms. San José isn't shown because its public file keeps active permits only. Marin County stopped publishing work descriptions in early 2026, so only its own EV-charging category is compared.
Facts copied from public records as published and not independently verified. Not investment, legal or business advice. Spot something wrong? Email roger@pickersdesk.com with the city and category and we'll check it against the record. Methodology · Data report card