A review of new pool construction permits in Florida and on record with HBW during the first quarter of 2020
There is no doubt that swimming pools are a very popular (and often expected) feature of homes in Florida. Year after year, and over the past five years, new swimming pool construction has been on the rise in the Sunshine State, with annual spikes ranging from 4 percent to 7 percent. Since the start of this year (thru March 2020), the market for new swimming pool construction is strong, with nearly a 25 percent year-over-year increase in pool starts resulting in 7,100 new swimming pool construction permits on record with HBW.
Out of the six major Florida regions reviewed (West, Southwest, Northeast, Northwest, West and Central), the greatest volume of new swimming pool permits can be found in the southwestern region of the state (1,962 permits) where there has been a 45 percent increase in new pool construction in comparison to the same time last year. In the southwest, more than half of all new construction took place in the two counties of Lee (675 permits) and Sarasota (401 permits), with both counties demonstrating year-over-year increases in new pool permits of approximately 55 percent.
Other Florida regions that have carried a higher volume of new swimming pool construction activity since the start of the year include the western and central portions of state. In West Florida, there has been a 10 percent year-over-year increase in pool permits (thru March 2020), resulting in more than 1,305 pool starts on record with HBW for the three-month period.
In Central Florida, there has been a major 29 percent increase in new swimming pool construction (Q1-2020) in comparison to the same time last year, resulting in more than 1,250 new swimming pool permits on record for the three-month period. The counties driving the high construction figures in the central region include both Orange (415 permits) and Osceola (348 permits) counties where more than half of all new construction took place, with both counties reflecting an average of a 30 percent year-over-year increase in pool starts.
Moving to the southeast, there have been approximately 1,170 pool starts since the start of the year (thru March 2020), reflecting an 8 percent increase in new pool construction in comparison to the same period last year. The bulk of new construction originated from the two counties of Palm Beach (409 permits) and Miami-Dade (312 permits), with both counties demonstrating year-over-year increases in pool construction of 3.5 percent and 35 percent respectively.
While new pool construction in the northern region of Florida is lower than other portions of the state, there has still been significant growth in pool starts during the first quarter of this year. Both the northeast and the northwest have demonstrated increases of 23 percent and 35 percent respectively (Q1-2019 vs. Q1-2020), resulting in a combined total of 1,411 new swimming pool permits on record for the northern region.
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.