US Building Permits Fall More than Expected

US building permits decreased 0.7% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.413 million in May 2026, below the market expectations of 1.42 million, preliminary figures showed. Permits for buildings with five or more units fell 3.5% to 474,000, while single-family permits increased 0.6% to 886,000. Regionally, permits dropped in the Midwest (-18.1% to 195,000), but rose in the Northeast (3.1% to 134,000), the South (1.6% to 760,000) and in the West (5.5% to 324,000).

US building permits increased 4.4% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.423 million in April 2026, below the preliminary estimate of 1.442 million, revised figures showed. Multi-unit permits, including buildings with five or more units, surged 17.2% to 491,000, while single-family permits declined 1.6% to 881,000. Regionally, permits rose in the South (4.6% to 748,000), the Midwest (12.3% to 238,000), and the Northeast (15% to 130,000), but fell in the West (-5% to 307,000).

US building permits increased 5.8% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.442 million in April 2026, rebounding from a seven-month low of 1.363 million in March and exceeding market expectations of 1.39 million. Multi-unit permits, including buildings with five or more units, surged 21.8% to 570,000, while single-family permits declined 2.6% to 872,000. Regionally, permits rose in the South (5.4% to 756,000), the Midwest (11.7% to 238,000), and the Northeast (28.2% to 141,000), but fell in the West (-5.0% to 307,000).