US Building Permits Revised Lower

US building permits rose by 4.3% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.433 million in July 2026, below preliminary estimates of 1.433 million. Permits for buildings with five or more units surged 7.3% to 482,000, and single-family permits increased 2.5% to 894,000. Regionally, permits rose in the Midwest (10.8% to 225,000), and the South (5.6% to 748,000), but were unchanged in the West (at 308,000) and fell in the Northeast (-1.9% to 152,000).

US building permits rose by 5% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.443 million in July 2026, above market expectations of 1.37 million, preliminary figures showed. Permits for buildings with five or more units surged 9.1% to 490,000, and single-family permits increased 2.5% to 894,000. Regionally, permits rose in the Midwest (12.3% to 228,000), the South (6.6% to 755,000), and the West (0.3% to 309,000), but fell in the Northeast (-2.6% to 151,000).

US building permits fell 2.6% month over month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.374 million in June 2026, according to final data, slightly above the preliminary estimate of 1.367 million. Despite the upward revision, permit issuance remained at a three-month low, highlighting persistent weakness in the housing market as elevated mortgage rates and a growing inventory of unsold new homes continue to weigh on construction activity. Permits for multifamily buildings with five or more units declined 3.1% to 502,000, while single-family permits dropped 2.2% to 872,000, their lowest level in ten months. Regionally, permitting activity decreased in the South (-7.1% to 708,000) and the West (-4.3% to 308,000), while the Midwest (5.2% to 203,000) and the Northeast (16.5% to 155,000) recorded gains.