Roseville, MN (March 25, 2015) – As feared, single-family construction slowed this month, after a slight peak in February as many rushed to get permits filed before the new building code took effect. Single-family permits were down seven percent compared to March 2014, while multifamily permits spiked by more than 92 percent from this time last year.
According to data compiled by the Keystone Report for the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC), there were 334 permits issued for a total of 928 units during four comparable weeks in the month of March 2015.
“We are deeply concerned that the new building code and the unnecessary costs that come with it could stifle our industry in 2015.” said Chris Contreras, 2015 BATC President. “The new codes are unnecessarily expensive for homeowners, and we believe there are more affordable ways to build our homes to the same safety and energy standards. We need to send the code back to the Department of Labor and Industry and get it right.”
“We are hoping to see single family activity grow significantly in April and May based on the strong attendance during the Spring Parade of Homes,” Contreras said.
For the month, Minnetonka issued the most permitted units at 190 (180 in one building), followed by Woodbury with 181 (160 in one building), and Vadnais Heights and Edina for third with a total of 84 units. Rounding out the top five is White Bear Lake with 80 permitted units (79 in one building).
See data chart below.