United States building permits fall in August 2026

Residential building permits in the United States totalled 118,300 in August 2026, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That was down from 128,900 in July 2026. HMG calculations based on the Census Bureau figures put the decline from July 2026 to August 2026 at 8.2%, which reverses part of the strength seen earlier in the summer.

The recent monthly series has been uneven rather than moving steadily in one direction. The Census Bureau recorded 129,400 permits in April 2026, followed by a dip to 120,500 in May 2026. Permits then recovered to 130,500 in June 2026 before easing to 128,900 in July 2026. The August 2026 figure of 118,300 sits below every monthly total recorded from April 2026 to July 2026, including the softer May 2026 reading.

Over a longer horizon, the picture is more positive. In August 2025 the Census Bureau counted 115,500 residential building permits. HMG calculates that the August 2026 total was 2.4% higher than that level. So although activity slowed in the most recent month, permit issuance in August 2026 was still ahead of the same month a year before.

Australia offers an international point of comparison for the same period. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 16,967 residential building permits were issued there in August 2026. HMG calculations from the bureau's figures show this was 10.3% higher than in August 2025. The raw totals mainly reflect the very different sizes of the American and Australian housing markets, so the annual rates of change are the more useful comparison. On that basis, Australia's growth from August 2025 to August 2026 was faster than the 2.4% rise recorded in the United States over the same period.

Building permits measure authorisations to start residential construction rather than completed homes, so they show how much new building is being approved at a given time. One monthly movement does not establish a trend on its own, and the US series has moved both up and down between April 2026 and August 2026. This summary covers the national total only and does not include a breakdown by state or region.