Construction permit values in Houston totaled $8.9 billion for the 12 months ending in March 2015, a 40.3% increase from the previous year. Residential permit values rose 32.4% while nonresidential permits grew 45.2%. In March 2015 specifically, total permitting activity decreased slightly by 0.5% due to a 29.3% drop in residential permits, though this was offset by a 13.6% rise in commercial permits.

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April 24, 2015
City of Houston construction permits totaled $8.9 billion for the 12 months ending March ’15,
up 40.3 percent from $6.3 billion for the 12 months ending March ’14. According to the latest
data released by the city’s Department of Public Works & Engineering Planning & Development
Services, residential permit values rose 32.4 percent from $2.4 billion to $3.2 billion, and
nonresidential permits grew 45.2 percent from $3.9 billion to $5.7 billion.
City of Houston permitting activity totaled $626.7 million in March ’15, a 0.5 percent decrease
from $630.1 million in March ’14. Growth in commercial permits offset the drop in residential
permits.
 Permits for non-residential buildings rose 13.6 percent from $422.6 million in March ’14
to $480.0 million in March ’15. During this period, permits for retail construction grew
from $1.6 million to $30.9 million and permits for school construction increased from
$178,000 to $31.7 million. Meanwhile, permits for office construction slipped from
$133.6 million to $19.7 million.
 Residential permits decreased 29.3 percent from $207.6 million in March ’14 to $146.7
million in March ’15. Multi-family permits drove the decline with an over-the-year drop
from $81.5 million to $20.1 million. Single-family permits recorded a slight decrease
from $106.5 million to $102.5 million.
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'05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16
$Billions
Source: City of Houston
CITY OF HOUSTON BUILDING PERMIT VALUE
12-Month Total
Residential Nonresidential Total

2. Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research Department
Patrick Jankowski, CCR
Senior Vice President, Research
713-844-3616
pjankowski@houston.org
Jenny Philip
Senior Manager, Economic Research
713-844-3615
jphilip@houston.org