Housing Permits Issued

Housing activity data refers to the number of building, septic and other permits that signal the beginning of a home construction project. Wisconsin Builders Association performs quarterly reporting by county of the data supplied by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Note: Monthly data is collected from sites across Wisconsin that report on a monthly basis - this is NOT all municipalties in the state. The figures reported by WBA represent trends in new home construction in Wisconsin, but do not reflect the total number of all new homes started in the state during the specified time period.

(All reports are in .PDF format, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader, unless otherwise noted.)

Available Reports
2011 WI Housing Permits Data - January-November
Summary of Land Development, New Home Construction & Construction Employment, Sept. 2011

Other Sources:
Housing Starts decline in October
Reprinted with permission from Calculated Risk blog
From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions

Privately-owned housing starts in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 628,000. This is 0.3 percent (±10 9%)* below the revised September estimate of 630,000, but is 16.5 percent (±10.7%) above the October 2010 rate of 539,000.

Single-family housing starts in October were at a rate of 430,000; this is 3.9 percent (±7.5%)* above the revised September figure of 414,000. The October rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 183,000.

Building Permits:

Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 653,000. This is 10.9 percent (±1.6%) above the revised September rate of 589,000 and is 17.7 percent (±3.4%) above the October 2010 estimate of 555,000.

Single-family authorizations in October were at a rate of 434,000; this is 5.1 percent (±1.6%) above the revised September figure of 413,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 202,000 in October. Click here for graph

Total housing starts were at 628 thousand (SAAR) in October, down 0.3% from the revised Septmeber rate of 630 thousand (SAAR). Most of the increase this year has been for multi-family starts.

Single-family starts increased 3.9% to 430 thousand in October.
The second graph (click here) shows total and single unit starts since 1968.
This shows the huge collapse following the housing bubble, and that housing starts have been mostly moving sideways for about two years and a half years - with slight ups and downs due to the home buyer tax credit. Multi-family starts are increasing in 2011 - although from a very low level. This was well above expectations of 605 thousand starts in October. Single family starts are still "moving sideways".


•  Economic Impact of Home Building in Wisconsin
See statewide economic impact studies conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Housing Policy Department which demonstrate the home building industry in the state of Wisconsin not only pays for itself, but its impact includes new income and jobs for Wisconsinites and additional revenue for state and local governments.
•   Home Sweet Home. Still.
An April 2011 study from the Pew Research Center demonstrated the five-year swoon in home prices has done little to shake the confidence of the American public in the investment value of homeownership. Fully eight-in-ten (81%) adults agree that buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make. Read the full study.
•   NAHB Housing Starts
Updated monthly and based on a seasonally adjusted annual rate.
•   Wisconsin Realtors Association: number of houses sold and median prices.
•    Department of Commerce: number of permits issued on a per county basis.

Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends
The following are links to useful information from government agencies and NAHB that will enable you to monitor the housing market.
To access the latest information available, simply click the links.
•    U.S. Census Bureau Construction Statistics
•    U.S. Census Bureau Housing Permits by State 
•    NAHB's Housing Market Index (HMI)
The HMI is based on a monthly survey of NAHB members designed to take the pulse of the single-family housing market. An gauge of of builder confidence and perceptions about current and future market conditions.
•   S&P Home Price Indices
The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices measures the residential housing market, tracking changes in the value of the residential real estate market in 20 metropolitan regions across the United States.
•   Characteristics of New Housing
Highlights the latest data on new-home characteristics released by the U.S. Census Department.
•    Housing Market Statistics from HousingEconomics.com
Full array of statistical categories available to NAHB members, a limited number available to non-members.
•   Wisconsin historical housing permit data
2010 WI Housing Permit Data-Jan-Dec
2009 WI Housing Permit Data- Jan-Dec
2008 Housing Permit Data- Jan-Dec
2007 Housing Permit Data- Jan-Dec
2006 Housing Permit Data - Jan-Dec
1999-2005 WI Housing Permit Data
  For more information contact Annie Rubens WBA Director of Communications (608) 242-5151 x 19