DATA & METHODOLOGY
A clear view of an imperfect record.
The source
Permit records come from the City of Austin Issued Construction Permits open dataset (Socrata 3syk-w9eu). Every published figure includes its source, year, and available sample size. The data reflects issued permits, not the full universe of applications or construction work.
How days-to-issue is computed
Days-to-issue is the difference between the application date and issuance date, in calendar days. Population medians and the 25th–75th percentile spread use usable dates in the published period. Volume totals may differ from timeline samples. These are historical statistics, not promised processing times.
The publication threshold
We publish statistics only with at least 30 usable observations (n ≥ 30), the table’s publication qualification, and a source and year. The estimator falls back from ZIP × class to Austin class-level, then Austin all-class, and labels the level.
City × project timeline eligibility
City timeline pages independently recompute medians from this base’s permit registry; stored derived medians are not substituted. Only Live cities with sourced records and at least 30 usable timelines receive a page. The latest citywide derived-stat coverage window supplies the inclusive issued-date boundaries, shown on every page; its endpoint is the stated as-of date, not a claim of a fresh import. Application and issuance instants are converted to calendar dates using each field’s current configured time zone before subtraction. Missing dates, negative intervals, missing source/year, and records without a matching loaded source are excluded. Whole-word pool, pools, spa and spas matches in project class or work description are excluded before records are returned. Words such as space remain eligible. Source years and the actual sample size accompany the median. The underlying-records section lists every included permit across pages. ZIP-level pages retain their separately sourced coverage and calculation notes; their stored populations may differ from this independently filtered population. Counts need at least 20 observations; timeline figures need at least 30.
Permit Pressure Index
The founding index uses relative median timelines and issuance volume trend. Pending applications are not available in this issued-permits dataset, so that input is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized. Each cell’s calculation note supplies the stored formula. It does not measure an individual project or contractor.
Why filed valuations are never shown
Texas permit valuations are routinely nominal. They are not reliable project costs. Filed valuations are stored in the source tables but are excluded from app queries, pages, and calculator output.
A footprint is not a credential
Texas does not license general contractors or remodelers. Specialty trades may have their own licensing rules. PermitLedger does not certify, license, rate, rank, or endorse contractors, determine project-specific permit requirements, or prepare or file applications. Names may vary between filings. A missing record does not prove a job was unpermitted.
Freshness and corrections
Public reads refresh within ten minutes. An external operating agent maintains the source tables. Correction requests are saved for review; they do not immediately change public records. Guide coming soon: the Navigator knowledge base will be reviewed before a chat surface is released.