Annual Building Permit Numbers Spike

If the number of building permits issued is an indicator of good things to come then the 2019 building permit numbers are a sign of optimism heading into 2020.

In December 2019 there were 15 building permits issued which is an increase of three in December 2018 when 12 building permits were issued.

December’s increase in permits is part of a trend of an overall yearly increase in permits issued in 2019 compared to 2018.

In 2019 a total of 249 building permits were issued, a 13% jump from the 221 permits issued in 2018.

The total value of 2019 building permits issued was slightly less than 2018. The value of building permits was $27,293,492.00 compared to $29,934,420.00 in 2018. Or a drop in value of $2,640,928 year over year.

In December 2019 no new dwelling permits were issued versus five issued in December 2018. Despite no new dwelling permits being issued in December 2019 there was a year over year increase in new dwelling permits, with 28 issued in 2019, compared to 21 in 2018, a 33% increase.

Home sales have been a sore economic spot in the past couple of years with home values declining from historic highs. According to figures provided by the Saskatchewan Realtor’s Associaton there were 41 new home listings in December 2019 with 18 home sales in Moose Jaw where as Secember 2018 saw 3 new listings and 20 new home sales.

The number of new listings outstripped sales. (See graph below).