How Long Is a Building Permit Good for? Permit Expiration Rules

Quick Facts

From our city pages and each city's open permit data (refreshed October 30, 2026).

The Model Code: 180 Days

The 2021 IRC sets the baseline in section R105.5. Every permit becomes invalid unless the work it authorizes starts within 180 days after issue, or if the work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after it begins. The building official can grant one or more extensions of up to 180 days each, on a written request that shows justifiable cause. Because cities adopt the IRC with amendments, your local period may be different.

Step-by-Step: What to Do

1. Note your permit's issue date and the city's time limits.
2. Schedule inspections steadily to keep it active.
3. Ask for an extension in writing before it lapses.
4. If it expired, ask about reactivation or a new permit.
5. Get the final inspection so the permit closes.

How Cities Set Their Own Clocks

Philadelphia's Start Right guide (June 2026) spells out its rules in plain language:

• An approved permit must be picked up within 60 days.
• Work must start within 6 months of issue.
• The permit expires if work stops for more than 6 months, or if work is not completed within 5 years.

Other cities use variations on the IRC rule. Check the permit card or the city's permit rules; the expiration date is often printed on the permit or shown in the online record.

What Counts as Active Work

Departments generally judge activity by inspections. A passed inspection is the clearest record that work is progressing. Long gaps between inspections, for example while waiting for materials or financing, are the most common way permits lapse. If you expect a pause, contact the department before the deadline.

Extensions and Renewals

Most departments allow an extension if you ask in time and give a reason. Some charge a fee; amounts vary by jurisdiction. Once a permit has expired, the options usually narrow: some cities allow reinstatement for a fee within a set window, while others require a new application under current codes. Applying again can mean new plan review and fees, so extending is almost always cheaper.

Why an Expired Permit Matters

An expired permit means the city never signed off the work. To a buyer, lender or insurer that can look the same as unpermitted work. It is common for a home sale to stall while a seller reopens an old permit to get a final inspection. See Selling a House with Unpermitted Work: Risks and Options for options. If the original contractor is gone, a new licensed contractor may need to take over the permit, which some cities treat as a new application.

How to Check a Permit's Status

Look the permit up in your city's online records, as explained in How to Look Up Building Permits for a House. Statuses such as "issued", "expired", "finaled" or "closed" tell you where it stands, and the inspection history shows which stages passed. How to Read a Building Permit Record decodes the fields. If an old permit shows as expired without a final, call the department to ask what it would take to close it.

Common Reasons Permits Lapse

• The contractor never started. A permit is pulled, then the job is delayed by weather, materials or scheduling.
• The job stalled mid-way. Financing problems or a contractor dispute leave work unfinished for months.
• The final was never requested. The work is finished, but nobody booked the last inspection.
• The contractor went out of business before closing the permit.
• Plan changes required a revision that was never submitted.

The third reason is the most common and the easiest to avoid. Make the final inspection a condition of the last payment, and check the permit status online a week after the job ends.

If You Inherit an Expired Permit

Buying a house with an expired permit is common. Ask the seller for whatever documents exist, then call the department to ask whether the permit can be reinstated or a new one is needed. Factor the likely cost of inspections and corrections into your offer.

Austin's 181-Day Rule

Austin's development services guidance (published with its ADU permit steps) says an active permit expires on the 181st day if no inspection is done. Each inspection extends it 180 days, but canceled inspections and "failed/no work performed" results don't count. Austin offers reactivation of expired permits.

Building Departments in the Cities We Cover

Rules in this guide vary by jurisdiction. These are the official departments that issue residential permits in the 15 cities we track, with the city's open-data source for permit records. Each city page shows the rules for roofing, HVAC, solar, fence and deck work.

Before relying on any rule, read the department's current page or call its permit desk. Model-code sections cited here (such as IRC R105) are adopted locally, often with amendments.

Frequently Asked Questions