Monthly Update: Building Permits

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City of Houston building permits totaled $7.3 billion for the 12 months ending February ’20, up 12.6 percent from $6.5 billion for the same period in ’19, according to the latest data released by the city’s Public Works Department. Commercial permits rose 28.5 percent to $4.5 billion while residential permits dropped 6.5 percent to $2.7 billion. 

City building permits totaled $509.5 million in February ’20, down 4.8 percent from $535.2 million in February ’19. Commercial permit values totaled $297.3 million, down 17.8 percent from $361.8 million in ’19. Residential permits were $212.3 million, an increase of 22.4 percent from $173.4 million in ’19. 

The effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is not visible in the numbers of building permits issued by the City of Houston in February, as the first cases of COVID-19 infection in the Houston region were not recorded until early March.

Projects of note that were permitted in February:

• Deloitte ($37.7 million combined permit value) obtained six building permits to remodel its downtown office located at 1111 Bagby St.
• Texas Children’s Hospital ($10.9 million combined permit value) was provided three building permits for a remodeling project that spans 28,125 square feet.

Berina Suljic Cologlu
Analyst, Research
713-844-3653
bsuljic@houston.org 

Patrick Jankowski, CERP
Senior Vice President, Research
713-844-3616
pjankowski@houston.org