The number of building permits issued by the city of Houston is creeping back to its pre-recession high.
The city issued $5.7 billion in permits over the past 12 months, according to data collected by the city’s Department of Public Woks & Engineering, Planning and Development Services. That’s a 22.9 percent increase over the $4.6 billion issued during the same period a year earlier. Last month, the increase was 23 percent.
With housing demand in overdrive, builders have been ramping up development amid solid economic growth. Medical projects, schools and other commercial developments have been on the rise, too.
Residential permits grew by 32.3 percent and non-residential permits were up 17.9 percent, according to the Greater Houston Partnership.
The peak was in 2008 when overall permit activity reached $6 billion for the 12-month period ending in October. The low point was in September 2010 when values were $3.1 billion.