BUILDING PERMIT STATUS CHECK — HOW TO FIND ANY PERMIT IN THE MIDWEST
Whether you're a contractor tracking an active job or a homeowner checking on a neighbor's renovation, building permit status is public information. This guide covers every major Midwest city and how to look up permit status for free.
WHY PERMIT STATUS MATTERS
For contractors
- ■Know when inspections pass so next trades can mobilize
- ■Catch holds or failures before showing up on site
- ■Track subcontractor permits on your projects
- ■Never miss a permit expiration that could stall a job
For homeowners
- ■Verify contractors pulled permits before paying final invoice
- ■Check permit history before buying a property
- ■Track your own renovation progress
For real estate professionals
- ■Identify open permits that could complicate closings
- ■Verify work was properly permitted before listing
OHIO PERMIT STATUS LOOKUP
COLUMBUS
permits.columbus.gov
Franklin County's most comprehensive portal. Search by address, permit number, or contractor. Shows all permits and inspections for any Columbus address going back 10+ years. Updates within 24 hours of any status change.
What you'll see: Application date, approval date, inspection history, current status, assigned inspector, and any holds or violations.
CLEVELAND
City of Cleveland ePlans portal
Cuyahoga County's system is split between Cleveland city and surrounding suburbs. For suburban properties (Parma, Lakewood, Euclid), check individual city portals.
CINCINNATI
development.cincinnati-oh.gov
Search by permit number or parcel ID. Cincinnati city permits and Hamilton County permits are separate — verify jurisdiction before searching.
AKRON
City of Akron Building Department
Summit County portal available online. Search by address or permit number. Summit County covers Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, and other surrounding municipalities on a separate system.
TOLEDO
City of Toledo One Stop Shop
Lucas County portal for Toledo and surrounding areas. Search by address. Northwest Ohio's most active construction market after Columbus.
DAYTON
City of Dayton Permit Center
Montgomery County handles Dayton and surrounding municipalities. Search online by address or permit number.
ILLINOIS PERMIT STATUS LOOKUP
CHICAGO
chicago.gov/buildings
The gold standard of municipal permit portals. Search any Chicago address and see complete permit and inspection history going back decades. Updates in real time. Covers all of Chicago city limits.
For collar counties (Cook County suburbs, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane), each municipality has its own system.
ROCKFORD
City of Rockford Building Department
Winnebago County portal available for Rockford and surrounding areas. Search by address or permit number.
SPRINGFIELD
City of Springfield Building and Zoning
Sangamon County handles Springfield and surrounding municipalities. Online portal available for status checks.
Chicago suburbs — each has its own portal
- ■Naperville: City of Naperville Building Services
- ■Aurora: City of Aurora Building Department
- ■Joliet: City of Joliet Building Division
- ■Schaumburg: Village of Schaumburg Building Division
- ■Arlington Heights: Village of Arlington Heights
For any suburb not listed, search “[suburb name] building permit status” for the direct portal link.
INDIANA PERMIT STATUS LOOKUP
INDIANAPOLIS
indy.gov eGov
Marion County's comprehensive portal. Search by address or permit number. Indianapolis-Marion County's consolidated government means one portal covers most of the metro.
FORT WAYNE
City of Fort Wayne Building Commission
Allen County portal available for Fort Wayne and surrounding municipalities. Online search by address or permit number.
SOUTH BEND
St. Joseph County Building Department
Covers South Bend and surrounding St. Joseph County municipalities. Search by permit number.
EVANSVILLE
City of Evansville
Vanderburgh County portal available online. Search by address or permit number.
MICHIGAN PERMIT STATUS LOOKUP
DETROIT
BSEED Portal
Detroit's Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department portal. Search by address. Suburban Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne County municipalities have separate systems.
GRAND RAPIDS
City of Grand Rapids Building Safety
Kent County's most active construction market. Online portal search by address or permit number. Updates within 24 hours.
LANSING
City of Lansing Building Safety Office
Ingham County portal for Lansing and East Lansing. Search by address.
ANN ARBOR
City of Ann Arbor
Washtenaw County's most active market. Online permit portal with full inspection history.
KENTUCKY PERMIT STATUS LOOKUP
LOUISVILLE
Louisville Metro One Stop Shop
Jefferson County's comprehensive portal. Louisville Metro's consolidated government means one portal covers most of the metro area. Search by address or permit number.
LEXINGTON
lfucg.com
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government portal. Search by address or permit number. Lexington's growing construction market makes this a busy portal.
PENNSYLVANIA PERMIT STATUS LOOKUP
PHILADELPHIA
eclipse.phila.gov
One of the country's best municipal permit portals. Real-time updates, full inspection history, contractor information, and document access all from one portal. Search by address or permit number.
PITTSBURGH
pittsburghpa.gov/pli
Allegheny County's portal for Pittsburgh and surrounding municipalities (PLI — Permits, Licenses, and Inspections). Search by address or permit number. Full inspection history available.
ALLENTOWN
City of Allentown Bureau of Inspections
Lehigh County portal for Allentown and surrounding areas.
HOW TO READ A PERMIT STATUS PAGE
Most portals show similar information regardless of city. Here's what each field means and what to watch for:
| Field | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Permit number | Your reference number for all communications with the building department |
| Status | Current stage (applied, approved, under inspection, final, expired) |
| Issue date | When the permit was approved and work authorized to begin |
| Expiration date | When the permit expires if work isn't completed — critical to watch |
| Inspection history | Every inspection, who conducted it, result (pass/fail), and date |
| Violations | Any active violations associated with the permit or address |
| Contractor | Who pulled the permit — useful for verifying your contractor is legitimate |
The two fields to watch most closely are expiration date and violations. An expiring permit that isn't renewed pauses the entire job. An active violation can hold up a final inspection indefinitely.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T FIND A PERMIT
If a permit search comes up empty, work through these steps in order before assuming the work was unpermitted:
- 1.Try the county system if city search shows nothing — jurisdiction matters
- 2.Search by address instead of permit number — or vice versa
- 3.Try alternate address formats — "St" vs "Street," numbered vs spelled-out streets
- 4.Call the building department directly — older permits may not be in online systems
- 5.Check if work was done without a permit — unfortunately common, creates problems at resale
If steps 1–4 come up empty, the work may genuinely be unpermitted. This is common on older properties and in jurisdictions with limited enforcement. Unpermitted work discovered at resale or refinance typically requires retroactive permitting and inspection — sometimes demolition if the work can't be inspected as-built.
TRACKING MULTIPLE PERMITS WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND
Contractors managing multiple active jobs across different cities face a real operational problem: each city has a different portal, different login, different format. Checking 10 active permits means 10 separate website visits every morning — and missing a status change by even a day can delay a trade or let a permit expire.
ClearedNo's Permit Tracker centralizes permit monitoring. Enter your permit numbers once — the system checks status automatically and sends email alerts when anything changes. Passed inspection, failed inspection, hold, expiration warning — you find out the same day, not the next time you remember to check.
Most contractors who use it recover 30–60 minutes per day that was previously spent on manual status checks. On a 10-job pipeline, that compounds fast.
MONITOR ALL YOUR PERMITS FROM ONE PLACE
ClearedNo checks your permits across Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania automatically. Enter permit numbers once — get email alerts the moment any status changes. No more morning portal rounds. First month free.
FAQS
Are building permits public record?
Yes — in all 50 states, building permits are public records. Anyone can look up permit status for any address. Some portals require creating a free account; most are fully open.
How current is permit status information?
Most modern portals update within 24 hours of any status change. Some real-time systems (Philadelphia, Chicago) update immediately. Older systems may lag 48–72 hours.
Can I look up permits for a house I'm buying?
Yes — permit history is important due diligence before purchasing. Look for open permits (seller's responsibility to close), unpermitted work (liability risk), and failed inspections that were never resolved.
How long are building permits valid?
Typically 180 days from issuance in most Midwest jurisdictions, with renewals available. Permits can also expire if no inspection activity occurs within 180 days. Always check expiration dates on active permits.
What if a permit shows as expired but work was completed?
Contact the building department to request a final inspection and close out the permit. Expired permits with completed work are common and usually resolvable — but do it before the property sells.