Single-Family Permit Slowed in September (September 2019)

The number of single-family housing permits issued in September in the Kansas City metro decreased from the prior month but showed more activity than September 2018, according to the monthly Residential Building Permit Statistics report compiled by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City. The organization reported a total of 396 single-family homes permitted in September, resulting in a 27% decrease in year-to-date permitting as compared to the first nine months of 2018.

Click here for the September 2019 Residential Statistics Permit report.

“While our overall numbers are lower than this time last year, permitting has picked up this fall and builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes is up in October,” said KCHBA Executive Vice President Will Ruder. “We believe our builder members are cautiously optimistic that even if the economy slows the residential construction industry will still be in a strong position to take advantage of the lower interest rates.”

The decrease in permitting as compared to 2018 is spread fairly evenly through the eight counties represented in the report.  Johnson county has the largest decrease in year-to-date permit activity with a drop of 324 single family permits.  The remaining three largest counties also report decreases:  Clay county down 298, Jackson decreasing by 258 and Platte by 138.

Once again, cities in Johnson County issued the most permits in September, accounting for 37% of total permits issued during the first three quarters of this year. The top five permitting cities for 2019 to date were Kansas City, Mo., (495); Olathe, Kan., (341); Lee’s Summit (276); Overland Park, Kan., (253); Lenexa, Kan., (185).