Methodology
How we calculate closure rates and which permits we count for Greensboro.
What is a closure rate?
When a contractor pulls a building permit in Greensboro, an inspector needs to verify the work was completed correctly before the permit can be closed. A closure rate measures the percentage of an applicant’s permits that have been properly closed:
The 365-day eligibility rule
A contractor who pulled a permit last month hasn’t had time to complete the work yet. To avoid penalizing recent activity, we only count permits issued more than 365 days ago when calculating closure rates.
Permits issued within the last year still appear in the data but are dimmed in the table and not factored into the rate.
Included permits
Greensboro’s Inspections Division publishes building permits via an ArcGIS MapServer layer. All records are included. We classify permits using the BP_COMM_RESID_MULT field:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Residential | Residential construction (code R) |
| Commercial | Commercial construction (code C) |
| Multi-Family | Multi-family residential construction (code M) |
| Other | Records with no BP_COMM_RESID_MULT value |
Applicant identification
Greensboro’s dataset includes a Contractor field that is populated on 100% of permits.
Owner sentinel values (OWNER, OWNER BUILDER, HOMEOWNER, N/A, TBD, etc.) are filtered out and treated as missing applicant data.
Status mapping
Greensboro permits use a StatusCurrent field with 3 main values:
| Status | Classification |
|---|---|
| Final Inspection Made | Counted as closed — final inspection passed (93%) |
| Issued | Counted as open — permit issued |
| Active | Counted as open — work in progress |
Geographic data
Greensboro’s dataset includes a FullAddress field for the street address and a DISTRICT field for geographic grouping. ZIP codes are not available in this dataset. Latitude and longitude are provided via point geometry.
Leaderboard criteria
The leaderboard applies two additional filters:
- Minimum 20 rated permits — avoids surfacing statistically insignificant data.
- Active in the last 3 years — prevents the list from being populated by defunct companies.
The leaderboard can be filtered by permit type (e.g., Electrical, Plumbing). When filtered, both thresholds apply only to permits of the selected type.
Median comparison
On applicant detail pages, each closure rate is compared to the median closure rate across all leaderboard-eligible applicants in the same category. This gives context — a 50% closure rate means something different in a category where the median is 40% versus one where it’s 80%.
Medians are calculated from the same pool of applicants who meet the 20-permit minimum threshold.
Data source
All data comes from the Approved Building Permits dataset on City of Greensboro Open Data. The dataset is refreshed nightly.
Limitations
This site shows permit closure data. It does not evaluate the quality of anyone’s work. There are legitimate reasons a permit may remain open:
- Client non-cooperation — the property owner may fail to schedule the final inspection or grant access.
- Administrative backlog — work may be inspected and approved but not yet updated in the system.
- Project delays — financing, design changes, supply chain issues, or other factors outside the applicant’s control.
- Multi-phase projects — large commercial projects may legitimately take years to complete.
- Permit holder vs. contractor — the applicant may be a GC, architect, or owner — not necessarily the person scheduling the inspection.
If you believe there are inaccuracies in the underlying permit data, contact the City of Greensboro Inspections Division at .