US Building Permits Fall More than Expected

US building permits fell by 2.7% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.394 million in August 2026, below market expectations of 1.41 million. Permits for buildings with five or more units fell 3.1% to 467,000, and single-family permits decreased 1.8% to 878,000. Regionally, permits fell in the Northeast (-15.8% to 128,000), the Midwest (-7.6% to 208,000), the South (-0.4% to 745,000), but rose in the West (1.6% to 313,000).

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).