August 2014 Building Permit Report
August building permit activity in the Kansas City metro area underscores the nationwide discussion of a “new normal” developing for housing. According to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City’s (HBA) monthly Residential Building Permit Statistics report, 2014 activity is nearly flat as we approach the 4th quarter. Localities in the eight-county metropolitan area issued 347 building permits for new single family residences during August, a slight decrease from July 2014 and from August 2013. The monthly averages of 341 and 344, respectively for 2013 and 2014, indicate that new home construction is remaining stable at this time. The year-to-date total of 2,749 is 1.5% higher than 2013’s total through August. In line with nation-wide trends, multi-family building is the highest in many years, with 2,271 units permitted during the first eight months of 2014.
“Builders’ confidence is still good and production is trending upward, so 2014 will be a positive year for single family builders,” said Executive Vice President Sara Corless.
Counties ranked by permit activity remain in the same positions for both 2013 and 2014 and, similarly, the top ten most active cities’ list remains unchanged except Raymore replaces Leawood as tenth in the group. Kansas City, Missouri has issued 481 single family permits during 2014, followed by Olathe at 346, Overland Park with 270, Lee’s Summit at 199 and Lenexa at 135. The area’s single family building permits are divided nearly equally between Kansas and Missouri with Kansas counties totaling 1381 and Missouri counties with 1368.