Methodology
How we calculate closure rates and which permits we count for Norfolk.
What is a closure rate?
When a contractor pulls a building permit in Norfolk, 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.
No contractor data
Norfolk’s building permit dataset does not include a contractor or applicant field. Instead of ranking contractors, this site ranks addresses by closure rate — showing which properties have the most unresolved permits.
Data source
Permits come from the City of Norfolk Open Data portal, dataset fahm-yuh4, published by the Department of City Planning. The dataset is updated on weekdays and includes building permits issued from 2010 onward.
Included permit types
We include only permit types representing inspectable construction work. Administrative permit types (Zoning, Occupancy Certificate, Operating, Sign, Short Term Rental, Portable Storage Unit, etc.) are excluded.
| Permit Type | Included |
|---|---|
| Building | Yes |
| Electrical | Yes |
| Mechanical | Yes |
| Plumbing | Yes |
| Fire Protection | Yes |
| Demolition | Yes |
| New Elevator | Yes |
| Zoning | No — zoning decisions, not construction |
| Occupancy Certificate | No — administrative |
| Operating | No — operating licenses |
| Sign | No — signage only |
| All other types | No |
Status mapping
The dataset uses a status field. We map it to our open/closed system as follows:
| Status | Classification |
|---|---|
| Finaled | Closed (~74,358 permits) |
| C/O Issued | Closed (~2,984 permits) |
| Completed | Closed (~48 permits) |
| Closed | Closed (~299 permits) |
| Completed 3rd Party Review | Closed (~31 permits) |
| Issued | Open |
| Expired | Open |
| Active, Reviews in progress, Authorized, Pending, … | Open |
| Cancelled | Excluded |
| Abandoned | Excluded |
| Revoked | Excluded |
| Withdrawn | Excluded |
| Denied, Voided, Paid Certificate Issued, … | Excluded |
Date fields
We use issue_date as the permit issue date and finaled_date as the closure date. Permits without an issue date are excluded.
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 Norfolk 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 Department of City Planning at .