HBW’s report on new residential construction permits in Florida for the month of April 2018.
Last month, there were just over 6,600 housing starts with a total construction value of nearly $1.8B added to the HBW database for Florida. Out of the five major regions reviewed (Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Southeast, Southwest), Tampa ranked #1 for total housing starts (1,562 permits), while Orlando moved to the top of the charts for average construction value at $307,929.
When looking at the top home builders, statewide there were the usual mega builders topping the charts including Lennar Homes, D.R. Horton and Pulte Homes. Lennar Homes actually took top spot in four out of five areas reviewed, having the greatest total number of housing starts for the one-month period.
Here is a closer look at top home builders by area:
Tampa
As previously mentioned, Tampa ranked #1 for total housing starts having 1,562 new residential construction permits with a total value in excess of $424M on file for the month. The highest concentration of new permitting activity took place in Hillsborough County, and out of the 210 active builders in the area, Lennar Homes ranked #1 for total starts. The top five builders in Tampa for the month are as follows:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| Lennar Homes | 219 | $297,243 |
| D.R. Horton | 185 | $193,447 |
| Highland Homes | 76 | $200,305 |
| The Villages of Lake Sumter | 74 | $289,259 |
| Pulte Homes | 66 | $250,970 |
Southwest Florida
The southwestern region of Florida ranked a close second for the month having nearly 1,550 housing starts with a total construction value just over $396M. Just about half of all new construction originated from the counties of Lee and Manatee, and out of the 245 active builders on file, Lennar Homes ranked #1 for total permits for the one-month period. The top five builders for the month are as follows:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| Lennar Homes | 218 | $234,086 |
| Pulte Homes | 183 | $238,034 |
| D.R. Horton | 174 | $213,542 |
| Taylor Morrison | 129 | $283,942 |
| Neal Communities | 110 | $170,181 |
Orlando
Last month, Orlando ranked third for total housing starts having 1,358 new residential construction permits with a total value in excess of $418M on file for the month. The Central Florida county with the highest concentration of new construction activity was Orange County (563 permits), and out of the 180 active builders in the area, Lennar Homes ranked #1 for total starts. The top five Orlando home builders for the month are as follows:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| Lennar Homes | 201 | $177,518 |
| D.R. Horton | 166 | $273,890 |
| Pulte Homes | 69 | $354,030 |
| Taylor Morrison | 67 | $411,331 |
| Meritage Homes | 51 | $393,538 |
Jacksonville
In Jacksonville, there were 1,262 housing starts with a total value of nearly $288.5M last month. The majority of new construction (876 permits) originated from St. Johns and Duval County, and out of the 155 active builders in the area, D.R. Horton topped the charts for total housing starts on file for the one-month period. The top five Jacksonville home builders last month are as follows:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| D.R. Horton | 269 | $152,830 |
| Lennar Homes | 87 | $256,840 |
| Dream Finders Construction | 85 | $223,214 |
| KB Homes | 84 | $140,103 |
| American Classic Homes | 82 | $81,671 |
Southeast Florida
In the southeastern region of Florida, there were 870 housing starts with a total value of more than $266M last month. The county that experienced the greatest number of housing starts was St. Lucie (229 permits), and out of the 215 active builders on file for the month, Lennar Homes ranked #1 for total new residential construction permits. The top five builders in the southeastern region of Florida last month are as follows:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| Lennar Homes | 105 | $ 256,532 |
| G L Homes | 76 | $ 405,153 |
| D.R. Horton | 65 | $ 212,006 |
| Pulte Homes | 36 | $ 319,527 |
| Holiday Builders | 34 | $ 243,651 |
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.