When it comes to residential construction, Florida doesn’t do “slow seasons”—it does surges, and June 2026 was no exception. According to the latest HBW residential construction permit data, the Sunshine State posted 7,477 new residential construction permits across its five major metro regions of Tampa, Southwest Florida, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Southeast Florida.
For construction professionals, permit data is a real‑time market diagnostic tool. It reveals who’s building, where they are building, and how aggressively they are positioning themselves within the competition. You can think of it as the closest thing the industry has to an X‑ray machine for market momentum.
For this reason, we have used the latest construction permit data reports to provide a detailed, region‑by‑region breakdown of the top five builders in each Florida region, along with statewide insights, crossover activity, and notable performance trends:
Statewide Leaders: The Big Three
Before diving into the regional analysis, let’s address the statewide podium finishers—those builders whose permit activity places them at the top of Florida’s June 2026 leaderboard:
- Lennar Homes (1,025 permits) – Lennar Home’s June performance is a masterclass in consistency. They ranked in the top five in every major region and secured the #1 spot in Tampa, Orlando, and Southeast Florida. Lennar’s statewide permit volume places them at #1 overall.
- D.R. Horton (748 permits) – Consistently dominant across multiple regions, D.R. Horton’s statewide totals place them firmly in the #2 position. Their presence in Tampa, Southwest Florida, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Southeast Florida underscores their broad market penetration and operational scale.
- Pulte Homes (664 permits) – Pulte Homes rounds out the top three statewide, thanks to strong showings in Southwest Florida (#1), Orlando (#2), Jacksonville (#4), and Southeast Florida (#3). Even though they didn’t crack Tampa’s top five, their 78 Tampa permits still contribute meaningfully to their statewide total.
The above-listed top three builders—D.R. Horton, Lennar, and Pulte—are the statewide heavyweights, each demonstrating broad geographic reach and high-volume production. While they have some heavy totals, it is equally as important to look at regional activity and leaders which are as follows:
Tampa
Total permits: 2,300 Active builders: ~285
Tampa continues to be one of Florida’s most competitive markets, with Lennar Homes leading the charge.
Top Five Builders
- Lennar Homes – 365 permits | Highest total value: $132.9M
- D.R. Horton – 251 permits
- The Villages of Lake Sumter – 159 permits
- Homes By West Bay – 116 permits | Highest average value: $475,514
- Ryan Homes – 85 permits
Notable Mention: Pulte Homes: 78 permits (not top five, but important for statewide totals)
Tampa’s permit distribution demonstrates a blend of large-scale production builders and high-value boutique builders. Homes By West Bay, for example, posted the highest average value in the region—an indicator of luxury or semi-custom product positioning.
Southwest Florida
Total permits: 1,895 Active builders: 350+
Southwest Florida remains a powerhouse for new construction, with Pulte Homes taking the top spot.
Top Five Builders
- Pulte Homes – 241 permits
- Lennar Homes – 235 permits
- D.R. Horton – 199 permits
- Taylor Morrison – 95 permits
- M/I Homes – 62 permits | Highest average value: $307,806
The southwestern region exhibits tight competition among the top three builders, with Pulte and Lennar separated by only six permits. M/I Homes stands out for its higher average value, suggesting a more upscale product mix.
Orlando
Total permits: 1,347 Active builders: 180+
Orlando’s market continues to be a magnet for large-scale production builders.
Top Five Builders
- Lennar Homes – 170 permits
- Pulte Homes – 166 permits
- D.R. Horton – 109 permits
- KB Homes – 69 permits
- M/I Homes – 64 permits | Highest average value: $384,324
Lennar Homes and Pulte Homes are neck-and-neck here, with only four permits separating them. M/I Homes again posts the highest average value among the top five, reinforcing their position as a higher-end builder in multiple regions.
Jacksonville
Total permits: 1,060 Active builders: 120+
Jacksonville’s market is unique due to the presence of Dream Finders Homes and Dream Finders Construction—two entities under the same umbrella.
Top Five Builders
- D.R. Horton – 126 permits
- Lennar Homes – 108 permits
- Dream Finders Homes – 91 permits
- Pulte Homes – 71 permits
- Dream Finders Construction – 64 permits
Technical Adjustment: Since Dream Finders Homes and Dream Finders Construction are the same entity, their combined total (155 permits) actually places them at #1, pushing Toll Brothers (42 permits) into the #5 position.
Jacksonville’s permit activity shows strong mid-market production, with average values generally lower than Orlando or Tampa. This aligns with the region’s broader affordability profile.
Southeast Florida
Total permits: 875 Active builders: ~170
Southeast Florida is a high-value market with a mix of production and luxury builders.
Top Five Builders
- Lennar Homes – 147 permits
- GL Building Corporation – 111 permits
- Pulte Homes – 108 permits
- D.R. Horton – 63 permits
- Akel Building Group – 45 permits | Highest average value statewide: $703,821
Akel Building Group’s average value is the highest of any builder out of the top five in any region for June 2026. Values of this level signal a strong luxury presence and a product mix that skews toward custom or high-end semi-custom homes.
Cross-Region Crossover
Several builders appear in the top five across multiple regions:
Lennar Homes – Top five in all five regions; #1 in Tampa, Orlando, and Southeast Florida.
D.R. Horton – Top five in all regions.
Pulte Homes – Top five in four regions; #1 in Southwest Florida and #2 in Orlando.
M/I Homes – Top five in Southwest Florida and Orlando, with notably high average values.
The cross-regional performers demonstrate broad operational capacity and strong market penetration—key indicators of statewide influence.
Market Takeaways
Permit activity in June clearly illustrates how Florida’s residential construction market moves: high permit volume signals strong market velocity, revealing where demand is surging, land is being rapidly absorbed, and sales pipelines are firing on all cylinders. At the same time, average construction value offers a window into product positioning, with builders such as Homes by West Bay, M/I Homes, and Akel Building Group proving that high‑value, design‑forward construction remains robust even in regions dominated by large production builders. Layered onto this is the undeniable influence of regional nuance—Jacksonville’s affordability, Southeast Florida’s luxury‑leaning profile, and Tampa’s intensely competitive landscape each shape how builders strategize, price, and allocate resources. And through it all, the industry’s hierarchy remains intact: D.R. Horton, Lennar, and Pulte continue to anchor the top tier statewide, leveraging their multi‑market presence to maintain advantages in pricing power, labor distribution, and supply chain efficiency.
Last month’s permit data paints a picture of a Florida market that is both dynamic and diversified. Whether you are a GC, subcontractor, supplier, or developer, understanding who’s pulling permits—and where—is essential for forecasting demand, pricing competitively, and identifying opportunities.
To gain more information on the builders, homeowners and permits for the construction activity above, check out HBW for your copy of the latest construction data reports. To gain access to the HBW database and receive custom and detailed reports on the latest residential and commercial building activity in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please contact HBW for details.