California building permit authorities
2025 Census Building Permits Survey directory.
520 permit-issuing authorities
The Census Building Permits Survey lists 520 authorities in California. They reported 103,856 residential units permitted in 2025; 486 reported activity.
This is a directory of issuing authorities, not a claim that every authority provides an open permit database. Data availability and suitability for a project signal are measured separately.
Use the directory to identify the authority that owns a local permit record, then check its own public site for the current record and access conditions. Inclusion in the federal survey is not a claim of data completeness or a construction forecast.
Largest authorities by 2025 residential units
| Authority | Units permitted |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 11,211 |
| San Diego | 6,828 |
| San Jose | 3,313 |
| Los Angeles County Unincorporated Area | 2,669 |
| Sacramento | 2,297 |
| Ontario | 1,789 |
| Irvine | 1,746 |
| Murrieta | 1,666 |
| Bakersfield | 1,648 |
| Elk Grove | 1,573 |
| Roseville | 1,504 |
| San Francisco | 1,444 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, 2025.
What this directory can and cannot answer
It can show the scale of permit reporting by authority. It cannot tell whether a particular address has an active project, whether an authority publishes a usable permit feed, or whether a company will receive work. Those are separate questions that require the authority’s source records and market-specific measurement.
Key takeaways
This directory records 520 authorities that issued permits in California and 103,856 residential units reported for 2025. Our analysis of the Census survey shows reporting scale, not whether an authority has an open permit database or whether a particular project is active. Those questions need the authority’s own current record.
- Use the authority name to locate the primary record.
- Check local data availability separately.
- Verify a project before outreach or a bid decision.
Common question
Does inclusion mean Projects Ahead has a usable project signal there?
No. Inclusion means the Census survey identifies an authority that issues permits. A usable project signal requires separate testing of source access, fields and the ability to reconstruct a project timeline.