Original data study · July 2026 · free to cite

The 2026 American Code Enforcement Report

We analyzed 14,278 code-enforcement records, violation filings, and building permits across 32+ US cities to answer a simple question: where are American homeowners being ordered to fix their properties — and what work do they need?

Cities that cite the most

Total enforcement records on file, by city, as of July 2026.

What the findings mean

• • Enforcement is concentrated in older-housing metros. Chicago, Nashville, New York, and the Ohio Valley (Cincinnati, Cleveland) lead — markets with aging brick-and-frame housing stock and active municipal enforcement.
• • General repair and property-upkeep dominate demand, followed by plumbing, HVAC, and electrical — the trades cities most often order homeowners to address.
• • A cited homeowner is a motivated buyer. Unlike a homeowner casually shopping quotes, one under a municipal compliance deadline is legally required to hire a licensed contractor — a fundamentally higher-intent signal.

Methodology

BellAveGo aggregates publicly available municipal code-enforcement records, administrative hearing dockets, building permits, and property data nightly across 32+ US cities. Figures reflect records on file as of July 2026 and update as jurisdictions publish new data. This report is licensed CC-BY 4.0 — cite and republish freely with a link to this page.