United States Building Permits
Jul 2026 · Monthly
Building Permits fell to 1394 in the period ending 2026-08-31, from 1433 in 2026-07-31. The comparison uses the same published series and measurement basis. The latest observation is the newest available period in a history running from 1960-01-31 through 2026-08-31. No forecast or consensus estimate is included. The current reading and historical comparison are reported by Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Building permits in the United States rose to 1,433 thousand units in July 2026, up from 1,374 thousand units in the previous month. The figure remains well below the all-time high of 2,419 thousand units recorded in December 1972, but far above the record low of 513 thousand units from March 2009. The series dates back to January 1960.
| Actual | Previous | Highest | Lowest | Dates | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,433 | 1,374 | 2,419Dec 1972 | 513Mar 2009 | 1960 – 2026 | Monthly |
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About this series
Building Permits in United States averaged 1,357 from 1990 until 2026, reaching an all-time high of 2,419 in Dec 1972 and a record low of 513 in Mar 2009. The series is reported monthly with history from 1960.
Building permits measure the number of new residential building permits issued in the United States each month, reported in thousands of units. The indicator is published monthly and the time series begins in January 1960, providing a long-term view of housing construction trends.
Source & methodology
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis · Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)
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