Canada Building Permits Fall in September

2026-11-12 13:44 By Isabela Couto 1 min. read

Canada’s building permits declined 4.1% to C$12.9 billion in September 2026 from August, following a downwardly revised 7.6% jump in the prior month and slightly missing forecasts of a 4% drop.

Residential construction intentions fell by C$475.7 million to C$7.8 billion, as a C$529.3 million drop in the multi-family component was partly offset by a C$53.6 million rise in single-family permits.

Multi-family declines were led by British Columbia (-C$292.1 million) and Alberta (-C$186.8 million).

Meanwhile, non-residential permits fell C$77.1 million to C$5.1 billion, as a C$171.5 million drop in institutional permits was moderated by a C$90.9 million gain in industrial permits.

Institutional declines were led by Quebec (-C$95.5 million), Saskatchewan (-C$43.6 million), and Alberta (-C$39.3 million).

In Q3 2026, total building permit value decreased 3.6% quarter over quarter to C$38.8 billion.



News Stream
Canada Building Permits Fall in September
Canada’s building permits declined 4.1% to C$12.9 billion in September 2026 from August, following a downwardly revised 7.6% jump in the prior month and slightly missing forecasts of a 4% drop. Residential construction intentions fell by C$475.7 million to C$7.8 billion, as a C$529.3 million drop in the multi-family component was partly offset by a C$53.6 million rise in single-family permits. Multi-family declines were led by British Columbia (-C$292.1 million) and Alberta (-C$186.8 million). Meanwhile, non-residential permits fell C$77.1 million to C$5.1 billion, as a C$171.5 million drop in institutional permits was moderated by a C$90.9 million gain in industrial permits. Institutional declines were led by Quebec (-C$95.5 million), Saskatchewan (-C$43.6 million), and Alberta (-C$39.3 million). In Q3 2026, total building permit value decreased 3.6% quarter over quarter to C$38.8 billion.
2026-11-12
Canada Building Permits Rebound in August
Canada’s building permits rose 8.8% month-on-month to C$13.6 billion in August 2026, rebounding from a revised 15.8% decline in July and exceeding forecasts for a 2.6% increase. The recovery was led by the residential sector, where permit values rose C$1.1 billion to C$8.5 billion. The increase was driven by the multi-unit component, which climbed C$1.1 billion to C$5.8 billion, while the single-family component edged down C$0.7 million to C$2.6 billion. Meanwhile, the value of non-residential building permits fell C$29.8 million to C$5.1 billion. A C$380.0 million decline in the commercial component, to C$2.2 billion, was largely offset by gains in the industrial component, which rose C$317.3 million to C$1.1 billion, and the institutional component, which increased C$32.9 million to C$1.8 billion. Overall, building permits rose 12.4% year-on-year.
2026-10-14
Canada Building Permits Miss Forecasts
Canada’s building permits declined 17.3% month-over-month to C$12.2 billion in July, following an 18.5% gain in June and missing forecasts for a 6.4% drop. This marked the steepest decline since August 2023. The value of non-residential building permits fell C$1.9 billion to C$5.0 billion, led by the institutional component, which declined C$1.5 billion to C$1.7 billion, followed by the industrial component, down C$443.3 million to C$795.5 million. Residential construction intentions fell C$701.2 million to C$7.2 billion, with the multi-unit component accounting for most of the decline, falling C$531.8 million to C$4.7 billion. The single-family component declined C$169.4 million to C$2.5 billion.
2026-09-16