Building Permits Rise, Led by Multifamily Construction Gains
August 24, 2026
Building permits increased 5.0% in July and 3.1% over the year. Permits for single-family homes in July rose 2.5% and 1.1% over the year. At the same time, permits for buildings with five or more units climbed 9.1% from June and 6.3% over the year.
In July, housing starts fell 12.4% from June and 13.5% over the year. Starts for single-family homes declined 9.9% from June and 15.7% over the year. Meanwhile, starts for buildings with five or more units plummeted 15.6% over the month and dropped 7.1% over the year.
Housing completions decreased 9.1% over the month and 16.8% over the year. Single-family completions moved down 5.8% from June and 12.8% from July 2025. At the same time, completions for buildings with five or more units fell 14.8% over the month and 25.6% from one year ago.
