The numbers
| City | Permits (12 mo) | Avg days to issue | Median days | Avg project value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Bay | 771 | 29.6 | 10 | $402,860 |
| Kelowna | 2,617 | 39.2 | 13 | $592,142 |
| Montreal | 21,508 | 48.9 | 18 | n/a |
| Toronto | 56,896 | 76.8 | 29 | $707,597 |
| Vancouver | 2,546 | 113.9 | 62 | $1,560,868 |
| Vancouver | 3,808 | 114.4 | 72 | $1,487,278 |
| St. Catharines | 1,285 | 116.1 | 61 | n/a |
Source: Wolf Codes permit dataset, 4,845,097 Canadian building permits across the cities it indexes. Figures cover the trailing 12 months, analysed July 2026.
How Long Does a Permit Take?
The average time from application to permit issuance ranged from 29.6 days in Thunder Bay to 116.1 days in St. Catharines, across 7 Canadian cities (89,431 permits issued in the last 12 months). Wide spreads make benchmarking essential.
What Is Open Data Permit Analytics?
Open data permit analytics collects, analyzes, and presents publicly accessible permit data to reveal insights on processing times, contractor compliance, and revenue forecasting. This data is often pulled from municipal websites and formatted for clarity.
Benefits of Open Data Permit Analytics
Accessing and analyzing open data on permit processing times offers benefits for local governments:
- Benchmarking: Comparing processing times across cities and departments highlights areas for improvement.
- Data-driven decisions: High-quality permit data supports better choices about resources, staffing, and infrastructure.
- Transparency: Citizens gain clear insights into permit timelines and municipal performance.
Challenges of Open Data Permit Analytics
Open data permit analytics has challenges:
- Data quality: Inconsistent or outdated permit data complicates analysis.
- Accessibility: Smaller municipalities may struggle to find or use public permit data.
- Skills gap: Local governments sometimes lack the expertise to collect, analyze, and present data effectively.
How Steller Addresses These Challenges
Steller aggregates and analyzes publicly accessible permit data to provide insights on processing times, contractor compliance, and revenue forecasting. Municipalities access high-quality, FIPPA-compliant data in a user-friendly format.
Accessing Open Data on Permit Processing Times
The table below shows average processing times in 7 Canadian cities:
| City | Average Processing Time |
|---|---|
| Thunder Bay | 29.6 days |
| Saskatoon | 32.1 days |
| Mississauga | 43.5 days |
| Markham | 45.3 days |
| Brampton | 51.9 days |
| St. Catharines | 116.1 days |
| Edmonton | 122.1 days |
The median city issued permits in 29 days, but spreads are wide, benchmarking matters.