Construction Permits

The following two charts of residential and non-residential permit values issued in each of the Bay Area’s regions since May 2004 provide a quick, comparative view of activity.  Data follows in subsequent tables.

In May 2007, the dollar value of residential permits issued in the East Bay increased roughly $33 million over April 2007.  During the same period, the San Francisco and San Jose regions saw decreases of $53 and $54 million, respectively and the Napa region a very small decrease of $171,000.  The Vallejo-Fairfield MSA saw an increase of $12 million during this period.  East Bay non-residential permit values also increased between April and May of 2007, and were $33 million higher in May.  During the same period, the San Francisco and Vallejo-Fairfield MSAs saw decreases of $26 million and $481,000, respectively between April and May 2007, while the San Jose and Napa MSAs saw increases of $26 and $12 million, respectively.

 

Region	Total Permit Change 6/05-5/06 vs. 6/06-5/07	Percent Change
East Bay	-$465,941,622	-10.3%
Napa	-$17,791,743	-5.5%
San Francisco	-$163,863,812	-4.3%
San Jose	$344,120,326	11.9%
Vallejo Fairfield	-$462,475,827	-26.4%

The following tables and graphs compare the twelve-month periods of June 2005 – May 2006 and June 2006 – May 2007.  This method provides a year-over-year comparison and can be less volatile than the month-over-month comparison in the previous section, which is used to show a historic overview of construction permit values. 

 

Using this comparison, the San Jose MSA was the only Bay Area region to make gains in the total dollar amount of construction permits issued, with an increase of 11.9 percent, while the East Bay and Vallejo-Fairfield MSAs saw substantial declines of 10.3 and 26.4 percent, respectively.  Losses were also seen in the Napa and San Francisco MSAs

When comparing the two previous twelve-month periods of June 2005 – May 2006 and June 2006- May 2007, all Bay Area regions saw decreases in the dollar value of residential permits issued.  The steepest declines were seen in the East Bay and San Francisco regions.  Total non-residential (commercial, industrial and institutional) permit values were up in San Francis co, San Jose and Napa, while the East Bay saw a modest decrease, as did the Vallejo-Fairfield MSA.

In a comparison of commercial and industrial construction permits issued during the same two twelve-month periods, the San Francisco and San Jose MSAs saw dramatic increases in commercial permits, while the East Bay and Vallejo-Fairfield experienced declines.  Commercial permits increased slightly in the Napa MSA.

The Vallejo-Fairfield MSA was the only Bay Area region to not experience an increase in the dollar amount of industrial permits issued during the same two twelve-month periods.

When compared with the twelve month period ending in May 2007, the number of single-family permits was down in all of the Bay Area MSAs.  Multi-family permits were up in the East Bay and San Jose MSAs, but fell dramatically in the San Francisco region.  Multi-family permits also decreased in the Napa and Vallejo-Fairfield regions.

 

The following tables examine these permit categories for the same comparative time periods for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

When compared with the twelve-month period ending in 2006, Alameda County saw an exceptional increase in industrial permit values, while residential permit values saw a slim increase and declines were seen in non-residential and commercial permit values. In the same comparison, Contra Costa County residential and industrial permit values declined, while permits issued for non-residential and commercial structures saw increases.

Construction Permit Values	June 2005 – May 2006	June 2005 – May  2007	Change	% Change
Alameda County Residential	$1,406,926,525	$1,430,097,059	$23,170,534	1.6%
Alameda County Non-Residential	$854,358,557	$763,599,744	-$90,758,813	-10.6%
Alameda County Commercial	$270,757,442	$165,525,693	-$105,231,749	-38.9%
Alameda County Industrial	$12,432,995	$59,754,411	$47,321,416	380.6%
Contra Costa County Residential	$1,855,406,717	$1,379,506,171	-$475,900,546	-25.6%
Contra Costa County Non-Res	$392,263,944	$469,811,147	$77,547,203	19.8%
Contra Costa County Commercial	$93,089,232	$142,192,253	$49,103,021	52.7%
Contra Costa County Industrial	$25,826,026	$10,755,858	-$15,070,168	-58.4%

Single-family permits continued to decrease in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties during the same two twelve-month periods, while the number of multi-family permits issued increased in Alameda County and was virtually unchanged in Contra Costa County.

 

Housing Unit Permit Comparison	June 2005- May 2006	June 2006- May 2007	Change	% Change
ALCO Single-Family Units	1615	1559	-56	-3.5%
CCC Single-Family Units	4782	3136	-1646	-34.4%
ALCO Multi-Family Units	3188	3571	383	12.0%
CCC Multi-Family Units	1048	1047	-1	-0.1%

 

The following charts show the number and value of single, multi-family, residential and non-residential construction permits issued in East Bay cities for the twelve-month period ending May 2007.