United States Housing Construction Permit Statistics
Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,443,000 in July 2026, up 5.0% from June and 3.1% from July 2025. Single-family permits were 894,000 and permits in buildings of five or more units 490,000. The South accounted for 755,000, or 52.3%. Over the same month housing starts fell 13.5% year over year to 1,239,000 and completions fell 16.8% to 1,212,000. Permits issued in calendar 2025 totaled 1,431,600, down 3.1% from 2024.
Key United States Housing Construction Permit Statistics
U.S. Census Bureau and HUD data- Building permits: 1,443,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, July 2026. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- Up 5.0% from the revised June rate of 1,374,000 and 3.1% from July 2025 (1,400,000). (Census Bureau/HUD)
- Single-family permits 894,000 (62.0%); 5+ unit permits 490,000 (34.0%); 2 to 4 units 59,000. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- The South issued 755,000, or 52.3% of all permits; the Northeast 151,000, or 10.5%. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- Calendar 2025 permits: 1,431,600, down from 1,478,000 in 2024. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- January to July 2026 permits: 850,900, down 0.6% from the same period of 2025. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- Housing starts fell to 1,239,000 in July, down 12.4% from June and 13.5% from July 2025. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- Completions fell to 1,212,000, down 16.8% year over year. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- Units authorized but not yet started: 279,000, up 10.3% year over year. (Census Bureau/HUD)
- Units under construction: 1,262,000, down 6.0% year over year. (Census Bureau/HUD)
How Many Building Permits Are Issued in the United States?
Permits for privately owned housing units ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,443,000 in July 2026, up 5.0% from June and 3.1% from July 2025. In not seasonally adjusted terms, 129,900 units were permitted in the month.
A permit is authorization to build, not a home. The Census Bureau treats it as the leading indicator of the construction pipeline because it precedes starts by weeks to months and completions by a year or more. The rest of this page follows that pipeline from region and unit type through to the number of homes actually delivered.
Which Region Issues the Most Permits?
The South, by a wide margin. It issued 755,000 permits at an annual rate in July 2026, or 52.3% of the national total. The West followed at 309,000, the Midwest at 228,000 and the Northeast at 151,000.
| Rank | Region | Total permits | Share of U.S. | Single-family | Month over month | Year over year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South | 755,000 | 52.3% | 529,000 | +6.6% | -0.9% |
| 2 | West | 309,000 | 21.4% | 179,000 | +0.3% | +8.0% |
| 3 | Midwest | 228,000 | 15.8% | 130,000 | +12.3% | +2.7% |
| 4 | Northeast | 151,000 | 10.5% | 56,000 | -2.6% | +16.2% |
| United States | 1,443,000 | 100.0% | 894,000 | +5.0% | +3.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, New Residential Construction, July 2026, Table 1a. Shares calculated by Aegis Luxury Real Estate. Regional single-family figures from the same table.
Single-Family vs Multifamily: What Is Being Permitted?
Single-family homes: 894,000 at an annual rate, or 62.0% of permits. Buildings of five or more units: 490,000, or 34.0%. Two to four unit buildings: 59,000. Multifamily permits rose faster over the year, up 6.3% against 1.1% for single-family.
| Type | Permits | Share | Month over month | Year over year | 2025 annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family (1 unit) | 894,000 | 62.0% | +2.5% | +1.1% | 911,900 |
| 2 to 4 units | 59,000 | 4.1% | +11.3% | +7.3% | 55,700 |
| 5 or more units | 490,000 | 34.0% | +9.1% | +6.3% | 464,000 |
| All units | 1,443,000 | 100.0% | +5.0% | +3.1% | 1,431,600 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, New Residential Construction, July 2026, Tables 1a and 1b. Shares calculated by Aegis Luxury Real Estate.
How Do 2026 Permits Compare With Prior Years?
Flat to slightly down. Permits for January through July 2026 totaled 850,900, down 0.6% from the same seven months of 2025. Calendar 2025 closed at 1,431,600, down 3.1% from 1,478,000 in 2024. Single-family permits are running 3.2% below last year; five-plus units 5.7% above.
| Period | Total | Single-family | 2 to 4 units | 5+ units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 annual | 1,478,000 | 981,900 | 54,500 | 441,600 |
| 2025 annual | 1,431,600 | 911,900 | 55,700 | 464,000 |
| 2025 January to July | 856,200 | 564,000 | 32,800 | 259,500 |
| 2026 January to July | 850,900 | 545,800 | 30,800 | 274,200 |
| Year to date change | -0.6% | -3.2% | -6.1% | +5.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, New Residential Construction, July 2026, Table 1b. Year-to-date estimates reflect revisions not distributed to months.
How Large Is the Gap Between Permits, Starts and Completions?
Permits ran at a 1,443,000 annual rate, starts at 1,239,000 and completions at 1,212,000 in July 2026, a permits-to-starts gap of 204,000 and a permits-to-completions gap of 231,000 at annual rates. Permits are up 3.1% year over year but starts are down 13.5% to 1,239,000 and completions down 16.8% to 1,212,000. The stock of units authorized but not started has grown 10.3% to 279,000, and units under construction have fallen 6.0% to 1,262,000.
| Stage | Rate or stock | Single-family | Month over month | Year over year | 2025 annual (NSA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permits (annual rate) | 1,443,000 | 894,000 | +5.0% | +3.1% | 1,431,600 |
| Authorized, not started (stock) | 279,000 | 149,000 | +4.1% | +10.3% | |
| Starts (annual rate) | 1,239,000 | 808,000 | -12.4% | -13.5% | 1,355,800 |
| Under construction (stock) | 1,262,000 | 579,000 | -0.2% | -6.0% | |
| Completions (annual rate) | 1,212,000 | 878,000 | -9.1% | -16.8% | 1,488,500 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, New Residential Construction, July 2026, Tables 1 through 5. The month over month changes for starts and completions have 90% confidence intervals that include zero and should be read as directional. Year over year changes for total starts and completions are statistically significant.
The July 2026 completions annual rate of 1,212,000 equals about 0.81% of the Q2 2026 housing stock of 149,454,000 units. That is a rate-to-stock comparison, not a measure of net annual housing-stock growth; removals, demolitions and conversions are not accounted for. The national housing inventory page carries the 1.54 million homes for sale and 4.6 months of supply those completions feed into.
Aegis Analysis: Derived Statistics
The figures below are calculated by Aegis Luxury Real Estate from the published Census Bureau and HUD tables. Each shows its formula. Seasonally adjusted annual rates (SAAR), point-in-time stocks and not seasonally adjusted counts are labelled so they are not mixed.
| Statistic | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| South share of permits | 755,000 South permits SAAR / 1,443,000 U.S. permits SAAR | 52.3% |
| Single-family share of permits | 894,000 SAAR / 1,443,000 SAAR | 62.0% |
| 5+ unit share of permits | 490,000 SAAR / 1,443,000 SAAR | 34.0% |
| Permits minus starts | 1,443,000 SAAR minus 1,239,000 SAAR | 204,000 units at annual rate |
| Permits minus completions | 1,443,000 SAAR minus 1,212,000 SAAR | 231,000 units at annual rate |
| Authorized-not-started stock relative to permit rate | 279,000 stock (end July) / 1,443,000 permits SAAR | 19.3% |
| Completions SAAR relative to housing stock | 1,212,000 SAAR (July 2026) / 149,454,000 total units (Census CPS/HVS Q2 2026); flow over stock, not net growth | 0.81% |
| 2025 annual permits vs 2024 | 1,431,600 minus 1,478,000, NSA counts | -46,400, or -3.1% |
| Year-to-date permits vs 2025 | 850,900 minus 856,200, NSA counts, January to July | -5,300, or -0.6% |
Inputs: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, New Residential Construction, July 2026 (CB26-127), Tables 1 through 5 and 1b; housing stock from Census CPS/HVS Q2 2026 (CB26-116), Table 3. Inputs and outputs are available as.
How These United States Figures Are Calculated
Permits, starts, completions, units under construction and units authorized but not started come from the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development New Residential Construction release for July 2026, published August 18, 2026. Monthly figures are seasonally adjusted annual rates; annual and year-to-date figures are not seasonally adjusted counts. Shares and comparisons are calculated by Aegis Luxury Real Estate from those tables.
| Element | Definition |
|---|---|
| Source | U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, New Residential Construction, July 2026, release CB26-127 |
| Permits | Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in permit-issuing places. Table 1 is based on a non-probability sample and is not subject to sampling error |
| Starts, completions, under construction | Survey of Construction estimates, subject to sampling error; relative standard errors published in the release |
| Rates | Monthly figures are seasonally adjusted annual rates. Annual and year-to-date are not seasonally adjusted counts |
| Regions | Census Bureau regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, West |
| State and county permits | Available in the annual Building Permits Survey file (2025 released May 14, 2026) and the revised monthly file, not in this release |
| Release identifiers | Census/HUD CB26-127 (August 18, 2026), press PDF at census.gov/construction/nrc/pdf/newresconst.pdf; Building Permits Survey annual 2025 released May 14, 2026; housing stock from Census CB26-116 (July 28, 2026) |
| Refresh | Monthly, around the 12th working day. Next release September 17, 2026 |
Every figure on this page resolves to a token in the Aegis Stats Engine with a recorded source, vintage and verification date. No figure originates from a consumer portal, a commercial aggregator, or an automated valuation model.
Official Sources for United States Construction Permit Data
Every figure on this page can be checked at its origin. These are the primary records, not summaries of them.
Using these figures
Journalists, researchers, students, and other sites are welcome to cite this page and link to the permanent URL so readers can check each figure against its source and see the current version. Aegis-original calculations, the compilation structure and the statistical graphics on this page may be reused with attribution to Aegis Luxury Real Estate and a link to this URL. U.S. Census Bureau and HUD figures are public domain.
Timothy Alston. "United States Housing Construction Permit Statistics." Aegis Luxury Real Estate, DRE# 01328224, updated August 18, 2026. https://aegishomesre.com/housing-construction-permit-statistics/
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This URL does not change. The page is updated in place rather than republished, so a link placed today continues to resolve to the current figures. For data questions, contact Timothy Alston at aegishomesre.com/contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many building permits were issued in the United States?
1,431,600 in calendar 2025. In July 2026 permits ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,443,000, up 3.1% from a year earlier. January through July 2026 totaled 850,900, down 0.6% from the same period of 2025.
Which region builds the most housing?
The South. It issued 755,000 permits at an annual rate in July 2026, 52.3% of the national total, more than the other three regions combined.
Are more single-family homes or apartments being permitted?
Single-family, at 894,000 against 490,000 for buildings of five or more units. But multifamily is growing faster: up 6.3% year over year against 1.1% for single-family, and up 5.7% year to date against a 3.2% decline.
Why are starts falling when permits are rising?
July 2026 permits rose 3.1% year over year while starts fell 13.5%. At the same time, the stock of authorized-but-not-started units increased 10.3% to 279,000. These measures show a widening gap between authorization and groundbreaking; the Census release reports the counts and does not identify a cause.
How many new homes are being completed?
1,212,000 a year at the July 2026 rate, down 16.8% from July 2025. Calendar 2025 completions were 1,488,500. Single-family completions were 878,000 at an annual rate in July.
How does Santa Clara County permitting compare?
The Santa Clara County page reports permits by city from the Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey and local jurisdiction records. This page does not carry the county figures; see that page for the fifteen city breakdown and the county total.
Timothy Alston
Timothy Alston is a licensed California real estate Broker serving 53 communities across Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. This reference page is maintained as part of an ongoing statistical series and is updated in place when its source data or methodology materially changes.