CONSTRUCTION

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

In July 2007, the dollar value of residential permits issued in the East Bay showed a slight increase of over $6 million.  During the same period, the San Francisco and Vallejo-Fairfield regions saw decreases of $105 million and $511 thousand, respectively. The San Jose and Napa regions saw decreases of $6 million and $9 million, respectively. 

East Bay non-residential permit values decreased $29 million between June and July 2007. During the same period, the San Francisco and Vallejo-Fairfield regions saw decreases of $26 million and $481,000, respectively between April and May 2007, while the San Jose and Napa regions saw increases of $26 and $12 million, respectively.

The following tables and graphs compare the twelve-month periods of August 2005 – July 2006 and August 2006 – July 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 East Bay and Vallejo-Fairfield regions were the exceptions in the Bay Area, showing declines of 10.1 and 14.8 percent, respectively. San Jose saw a large increase in the dollar value of construction permits, with a $222 million increase over the previous period.

When comparing the two previous twelve-month periods of August 2005 – July 2006 and August 2006- July 2007, decreases in the dollar value of residential permits issued. The steepest declines in this comparison of residential permit values were seen in the East Bay and San Francisco regions.  Total non-residential (commercial, industrial and institutional) permit values increased around the Bay Area, with the East Bay being the exception, showing a modest decrease.

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 large increases in commercial permits, while the East Bay and Vallejo-Fairfield regions experienced declines. With the exception of Vallejo-Fairfield, commercial permits increased moderately in the Napa MSA. Industrial construction permits increased in all regions.

When compared with the previous twelve-month period, the number of single-family permits issued in the period ending July 2007 fell sharpest in the East Bay and Vallejo-Fairfield regions, while San Jose saw a more modest decrease.  The East Bay was the only region to see an increase in the number of multi-family permits issued.

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

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 both counties.

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 July 2007.

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