Building Permits
Monthly New Privately-Owned Residential Building Permits

     These figures have been compiled by extracting the numbers published by the US Census Bureau and re-assembled to make them easier for local businesses dependant on the construction market. The figures show how the momentum in the industry is progressing in comparison to previous years so companies can plan for the future with this information in mind. The goal is not to try to make these numbers look good or bad, but only to show the facts of what we can expect in the coming months.
 
Bookmarks: Benton Cass Crow Wing Isanti.Morrison Sherburne Stearns Todd Wadena Wright
Aitkin County
Includes: McGregor & Aitkin County combined
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to
date value
Apr 2008 24 3,566,327 45 6,694,714
Mar 2008 9 1,340,737 21 3,128,387
Feb 2008 5 744,854    
Jan 2008 7 1,042,796    
Apr 2007 20 2,979,416 51 7,422,824
Apr 2006 30 4,141,587 81 10,961,446
Summary: Aitkin County is recovering and finds itself at 90% of last year's trend

 

Benton County Bookmarks
Includes: Ronneby and remaining Benton County
Does not include: St Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Sartell & Rice		 also see St Cloud area
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to
date value
Apr 2008 4 921,228 4 921,228
Mar 2008 0 0 0 0
Feb 2008 0 0    
Jan 2008 0 0    
Apr 2007 8 1,604,000 15 3,134,000
Apr 2006 3 774,000 12 3,434,000
Summary: This area is just starting to move in the same way as the rest of the St Cloud area.

 

Cass County Bookmarks
Includes: Walker & Cass County combined
Month Units Value Year to
 date units		 Year to
 date value
Apr 2008 23 3,504,833 46 7,019,978
Mar 2008 13 1,986,821 23 3,515,145
Feb 2008 6 916,994    
Jan 2008 4 611,330    
Apr 2007 38 5,807,631 69 10,425,725
Apr 2006 39 5,809,861 111 15,749,761
Summary: Walker still has no building permits going, but the rest of the county is picking up more than many other areas in Minnesota.

 

Crow Wing County Bookmarks
Includes:  Crow Wing County, Brainerd, Baxter, Breezy Point and Crosslake combined
Month Units Value Year to
 date units		 Year to
date value		 Special Note
Apr 2008 11 2,196,630 41 6,951,219 2 twins
Mar 2008 14 2,101,841 30 4,754,589 2 twins
Feb 2008 8 1,126,597      
Jan 2008 8 1,526,151      
Apr 2007 48 7,461,852 118 16,979,705 17 units in 2 buildings, 2 twins
Apr 2006 82 12,120,671 196 28,407,290 16 units in 2 buildings
Summary: Nothing in Brainerd this month and only 2 projects this year. Situation here is similar to St Cloud and is only doing 40% compared to last year's trend. Most likely to many houses on the market in Brainerd and Baxter.

 

Isanti County Bookmarks
Includes:  Athens, Braham, Cambridge, Isanti and remaining Isanti County
Month Units Value Year to
 date units		 Year to
date value		 Special Note
Apr 2008 5 763,188 9 1,296,642  
Mar 2008 1 117,000      
Feb 2008 1 181,454      
Jan 2008 2 235,000      
Apr 2007 26 7,461,852 76 11,017,880  
Apr 2006 22 3,135,667 196 28,407,290 64 units in 2 buildings
Summary: This is very sad to see such lack of new permits in a community just outside the Twin Cities. Doing less than 12% from last here and an outrageous 4.5% from 2006.

 

Morrison County Bookmarks
Includes:  Morrison County, Little Falls and Randall combined
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to
date value
Apr 2008 11 1,069,575 20 2,107,318
Mar 2008 6 810,538 9 1,037,743
Feb 2008 2 130,005    
Jan 2008 1 97,200    
Apr 2007 24 2,455,234 41 4,137,343
Apr 2006 13 1,742,418 36 4,632,997
Summary: The statewide trend is followed here.

 

Sherburne County also see St Cloud area Bookmarks
Includes: Becker, Zimmerman, Big Lake, Elk River and remaining Sherburne County
Does not include: St Cloud, Clear Lake, Clearwater & Cold Spring
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to date
value
Apr 2008 11 1,921,143 33 5,976,139
Mar 2008 9 1,749,512 22 4,054,996
Feb 2008 6 964,598    
Jan 2008 7 1,340,886    
Apr 2007 46 8,203,202 119 20,416,981
Apr 2006 91 15,344,723 319 61,583,669
Summary: This area is just not picking up the usual spring momentum and seems to remain stagnant in comparison to the last two years. Permits are only 29% from last here and a horrific 10% from two years ago. The remaining construction infrastructure is most likely vacating the area or closing down.

 

Stearns County also see St Cloud area Bookmarks
Includes: Holdingford and  Stearn's County combined
Does not include: St Cloud, Sartell, Waite Park, Rice & Cold Spring
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to
date value
Apr 2008 13 2,640,018 28 5,567,480
Mar 2008 6 1,170,985 15 2,927,462
Feb 2008 7 1,366,149    
Jan 2008 2 390,328    
Apr 2007 19 3,708,118 33 6,282,456
Apr 2006 28 5,148,676 69 12,273,357
Summary: This area is not following the same pattern as the rest of the St Cloud area. A big part of the construction market in the St Cloud area seems to be in this area. Holdingford reported no permits in the first 3 months of the past three years.

 

Todd County Bookmarks
Includes:  Eagle Bend, Bertha and Todd County combined
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to
date value
Apr 2008 9 1,450,318 16 2,520,145
Mar 2008 5 764,162 7 1,069,827
Feb 2008 2 305,665    
Jan 2008 0 0    
Apr 2007 8 1,191,766 23 3,338,986
Apr 2006 14 1,932,741 37 4,911,167
Summary: More evidence here that the smaller community are not taking as much of a beating in comparison to communities as large as Brainerd and St Cloud. Todd County trend is much better than the state and national trend.

 

Wadena County Bookmarks
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to
date value
Apr 2008 6 935,000 8 1,193,000
Mar 2008 2 258,000 2 258,000
Feb 2008 0 0    
Jan 2008 0 0    
Apr 2007 3 212,000 5 552,000
Apr 2006 3 230,000 8 1,065,000
Summary: It is extremely rare to see a county with more building permits that past two years. Things are looking good for this small county. Lets hope this trend continues as we need more of this to break the construction recession.

 

Wright County Bookmarks
Includes: Otsego, Albertville, St Michael, Monticello, South Haven, Annandale, Maple Lake, Buffalo, Hannover, Delano, Montrose, Waverly, Howard Lake, Cokato and remaining Wright County Area.
Does not include: Clearwater (compiled in St Cloud Area)
Month Units Value Year to
date units		 Year to
 date value		 Special
Note
Apr 2008 46 8,085,081 96 17,282,723  
Mar 2008 22 4,934,903 54 12,818,150  
Feb 2008 18 4,324,332      
Jan 2008 14 3,558,915      
Apr 2007 100 16,794,534 260 45,348,277  
Apr 2006 123 22,495,613 423 83,978,890 1 twin
Summary: Although this is a high volume county and a growth corridor, the surrounding area has an infrastructure set to handle much higher volumes in permits. This means extreme fierce competition for an area that is now only showing 38% of 2007 permits and 20% of 2006 permits.

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