Atlanta Swimming Pool Construction Quarterly Review

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An overview of permit data for new swimming pool construction in the Metro Atlanta area during the first quarter of 2023

Earlier this week, we reviewed HBW’s latest “Construction Activity Trend Reports” to review and assess the residential construction market in Metro Atlanta. Today, we will be using similar reports to identify where new swimming pool construction is booming (and not) across Atlanta.

Based on the latest reports, there have been 644 new swimming pool construction permits added to the HBW database for Metro Atlanta; this figure reflects a 38 percent decline in new pool construction in comparison to the same period last year.  Out of the 24 counties that were included in the report, three counties carried approximately 37 percent of all new permits on record for the three-month period; those counties are as follows:

Fulton County

During the first quarter of this year, Fulton County demonstrated a 39 percent year-over-year decrease in new swimming pool construction; despite the decline, Fulton was the leading county for pool construction, having 122 new permits on record with HBW for the quarter.

Gwinnett County

In Gwinnett County, there were 62 new swimming pool construction permits on record for Q1-2023, reflecting a 23 percent decline in construction in comparison to the same period last year.

Cobb County

Although Cobb County ranked #3 for new pool construction with 54 new permits on record through Q3, the area has experienced a major decline in new permits (-52%) in comparison to the same time last year.

While the above listed areas carried the highest concentration of new swimming pool construction activity so far this year in the Metro Atlanta area, there are other areas like Paulding County that have lower levels of construction (24 permits) but are reflecting a strong start (+71% YOY) to 2023. HBW will continue to monitor new permitting activity and update the database so that the latest permit data is available to subscribers and changes in the market can be identified more easily and used for better understanding where contractor services are in demand or slowing. With just one quarter on record for 2023, there is still ample time for shifts in the market and development for more substantial and established patterns in each region.

Information utilized for the above listed figures for Metro Atlanta swimming pool construction was directly derived from HBW 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.

New Home Construction Slows in Metro Atlanta During Q1-2023

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A review of permit data for new home construction in the Metro Atlanta area during the first quarter of 2023

Based on HBW’s latest quarterly “Building Activity Trend Report” for new residential construction in the Metro Atlanta area, new home construction is off to a lagging start as of Q1-2023.  In line with the annual decline in 2022, it appears that new home construction isn’t showing any signs of improvement in the Metro Atlanta area so far this year.

From January through March of this year, there have been 3,576 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for Metro Atlanta, reflecting a 41 percent year-over-year decrease in permits. Out of the twenty-four counties reviewed and included in the report, more than 33 percent of all new home construction activity took place in three major counties as follows:

Gwinnett County – In the first quarter of this year, Gwinnett County carried the highest concentration of new home construction activity, having 549 new permits on record with HBW for the three-month period; this reflects a 33 percent year-over-year decrease in new residential construction activity.

Cherokee County – Cherokee County ranked #2 for new home construction during the first quarter of this year as there were 323 new permits on record with HBW for the three-month period.  After last year’s annual increase in new residential construction activity in Cherokee County, there appears to be a major slowing of construction as there has been a 52 percent decline in total permits in comparison to the same time last year.

Fulton County – In Fulton County, there were 321 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database during Q1-2023; this figure reflects a 28 percent year-over-year decrease in new home construction.

As far as higher value residential construction (>$500k) is concerned, there have been approximately 350 new residential construction projects throughout the Metro Atlanta area added to the HBW database in Q1-2023.  Nearly half of all higher value permits in the first quarter of this year originated from the counties of Fulton and Cherokee where there have been 76 permits and 85 new permits added to the HBW database respectively.

Information utilized for the above listed figures for Metro Atlanta residential construction was directly derived from HBW 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.

5 Ways for Contractors to Amp Up Marketing

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You don’t need to be a marketing professional to know a thing or two about marketing to your clients. On the contrary, you most likely have some of the most useful insight on your target audience – as a business owner, you know your clients’ wants and needs better than anyone else. You know the frequently asked questions, the greatest concerns, pricing challenges, as well as how to remain competitive in the market. The key to solid marketing is bringing all of that insight together to create a cohesive strategy that best reflects your brand and reaches your target audience.

Today, we are sharing five easy actions you can take on your own to improve your marketing efforts:

  • Optimize Your Website – Just having a website is not enough, especially if you created it some time ago. In order to make the most out of your website, you should review it to ensure that all information is up-to-date. Ways to contact you should be clear and visible on every page, as well as a call to action. Other pages and information to consider if you don’t already have them is a request form for consultation, newsletter sign-up, FAQs section, and pricing or special offers for common services. Additionally, you should check that your website is mobile-friendly and that all of the most important information is visible and is optimized for mobile viewing.
  • Gather Testimonials and Reviews – While your website may already have a testimonials section, it is important that you continue to request and gather positive reviews and feedback. Share a link with every customer to post a Google review and have a survey ready to send at the closing of every project. The feedback received will not only strengthen your marketing efforts, but it will also provide valuable insight on your customer experience.
  • Create Email Marketing Campaigns – Email is still a viable way to reach customers, especially if done correctly. Always provide an option to opt-in rather than spam your customers and prospects, and be sure to acquire your leads from a reliable source such as HBW. Once you plan an email marketing campaign, use the tracking features to gain an understanding of what is getting “clicks” and the time of day when your audience is most receptive.
  • Engage on Social Media – Social media can be intimidating for many contractors, especially because there is often very little time to manage it. The truth is that the majority of your clients and prospects are on social media and will be highly influenced by the content and ads they see in their feed. According to Sprout Social, more than 68 percent of consumers have already purchased directly from social media and nearly all (98%) consumers plan to make at least one purchase through social shopping or influencer commerce this year. Those statistics can’t be ignored, and it is a clear indication that your business should be active on social media. A good place to start would be to choose one or two platforms and create a schedule for posting a variety of content. Your strategy will continue to develop based on your engagement rates.
  • Improve SEO – While there are entire businesses dedicated to Search Engine Optimization, there are some things that you can do on your own to improve your local business search ranking. Start by researching and finding the appropriate keywords for your industry, specialties and service areas. From there, you should incorporate those keywords throughout the text and body of your website, as well as on the descriptions and titles of images and videos. Google takes in a number of factors when it comes to search rankings, so beyond the keywords, you will also want your website to be mobile-friendly, running on a reliable website builder/platform, and properly secured (SSL certificate).

Remember, your business and connections with your clients hold the key to understanding how to develop a successful marketing strategy. Continue to grow your network and nurture current client relationships, create and share engaging content, and you will be better positioned to attract and serve new customers.

For more information on construction business marketing tips, stay connected with the HBW Blog.  To get ahead of construction activity and gain access to the latest permitting data in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, contact HBW for more information on construction data reports and industry leads.

Using Your LinkedIn Profile to Benefit Your Business

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Did you know that your personal profile on LinkedIn can be just as important as your company page when it comes to promoting your business? LinkedIn has been gaining momentum among social media platforms, and the stats make it difficult to ignore; in fact, as of the start of this year, the network reported having 875 million members, and more than 58 million businesses have LinkedIn accounts. It is a prime spot to not only find your next hire, but to make B2B connections as there are 2.7 million companies posting on LinkedIn every day.

LinkedIn has held strong as the primary professional social media platform, providing space for networking, and making connections to boost business, industry presence and partnerships. Aside from the obvious of setting up a company page and linking it to your personal profile, there are several ways you can improve upon your personal LinkedIn profile to build brand awareness. Here are 5 actions to get you started:

  1.  Have a Strategy – When you first established a personal profile, you most likely just put down the basics – name, company, photo. If that sounds familiar, then you may want to revisit it with a strategy in mind. Who are you trying to reach? How is your message aligned with your business goals? It is essential that you understand your audience and have a clear intention for using the platform. If you are a construction professional who is looking for a job, then your profile should look different than an established business owner looking to attract new clients.
  2. Use Impactful Images – On LinkedIn there are two primary images that will serve as a first impression to someone visiting your profile – your profile photo and your header image. While having a professional photo for your profile may seem obvious, you would be surprised by how many users have blurry, low-resolution, or less than professional photos for their profile. It is worth investing in a one-time photo session to get it right, and you may choose to enhance it by having your logo on your shirt or in the background. As far as the header image is concerned, it is often left blank on personal profiles, when it could be optimized as a space to highlight some of your top-notch projects and designs.
  3. Check Your Headline – Your personal “headline” will follow you wherever your profile shows up in searches and across LinkedIn, so it is important to put thought into the terms you use. For example, instead of having “Contractor” or “Business Owner” as your headline, consider something like “Custom home builder specializing in…” Be direct and clear; it should serve as an introduction without sounding like a one-liner business promotion.
  4. Activate Features – Did you know that there is a “featured” section on LinkedIn? The featured section enables you to add a link to your website and portfolio, as well as show examples of your work. Click on “Add Profile Section”, and under “Recommended” you will find the “Featured” section where you can add videos, documents, articles, images and links.
  5. Align Your “About” – Just like your website and nearly any social platform, LinkedIn has an “About” section. Many people keep this section blank or copy an introductory statement from their resume, but it could be used as an opportunity for viewers to connect with you and your brand. Consider crafting a unique statement that summarizes what you do and why it is important to you. Be both brief and inspirational, and keep your future clients in mind – What are they looking for in a provider of your services and/or products?

LinkedIn has been gaining traction over the years, evolving from a resume style platform to a full multi-purpose professional network. In order for your business to grow, you must expand your presence. Continue to make new “connections” and share your company’s posts within your personal network.  By creating a solid personal profile that reflects your brand and business activity, you can get the most out of LinkedIn while making meaningful connections along the way.

For more information on construction business marketing tips, stay connected with the HBW Blog.  To get ahead of construction activity and gain access to the latest permitting data in Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, contact HBW for more information on construction data reports and industry leads.

Florida’s Top Home Builders – February 2023

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A list of Florida’s leading home builders based on permit data on record with HBW for the month of February

If you follow the HBW blog, then you know that we recently reported that there were 5,685 new residential construction permits with a total construction value of nearly $1.85 billion added to the HBW database for Florida last month. The figures were derived from HBW’s latest construction data reports covering new home construction and permitting activity across the Sunshine State.

Today, we will be using the same reports to review and identify the leading residential construction contractors that are behind the permit data in each of the five major regions of Florida (Southeast, Southwest, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville). Statewide, two home builders have continued to have a strong presence in the market. Holding more than 25 percent of all new residential construction permits for the month, both Lennar Homes (827 permits) and D.R. Horton (603 permits) are major powerhouses that are positioned on the leaderboard in every region reviewed.

Here is a closer look at the top five home builders driving new residential construction in each Florida region during the month of February:

Tampa:

BuilderTotal Permits
1-Lennar Homes304
2-The Villages Land Company140
3-D.R. Horton117
4-Highland Homes84
5-Casa Fresca Homes66

Southwest:

BuilderTotal Permits
1-Lennar Homes224
2-D.R. Horton135
3-Pulte Homes124
4-Taylor Morrison55
5-Neal Communities of SW FL54

Orlando:

BuilderTotal Permits
1-D.R. Horton157
2-Lennar Homes144
3-M/I Homes111
4-Dream Finders Homes83
5-Minto Communities63

Jacksonville:

BuilderTotal Permits
1-D.R. Horton154
2-Lennar Homes70
3-Dream Finders Construction67
4-Pulte Homes52
5-AMH Development44

Southeast

BuilderTotal Permits
1-GL Building Corporation113
2-Lennar Homes85
3-D.R. Horton40
4-Holiday Builders33
5-Toll Brothers23

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.

HBW Report: Florida Residential Construction – February 2023

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An overview of permit data for new home construction in Florida during the month of February

Based on HBW’s latest construction data reports, there were 5,685 new residential construction permits with a total construction value of nearly $1.85 billion added to the HBW database for Florida last month; this figure reflects an 11 percent month-over-month decrease in new home construction.  Out of the five major regions reviewed (Southwest, Southeast, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville), the southwestern region held the highest concentration of new residential construction permits (1,621 permits), while the highest average value of new home construction could be found in the southeastern region of the state (average value: $421,071).

Here is a closer look at the total number of new permits, average construction value, and leading counties for new home construction in each of Florida’s five major regions during the month of February:

Southwest

The southwestern region of Florida ranked #1 for new home construction last month, having 1,621 new permits with a total construction value of approximately $532.6M last month.  The average value of new home construction landed mid-range (average value: $328,547) in comparison to other Florida regions reviewed, and more than half of all new residential construction activity took place in the counties of Lee (589 permits) and Manatee (302 permits)

Tampa

Tampa ranked #2 for new home construction last month as there were 1,365 new residential construction permits with a total value of nearly $403.8M.  The average value of construction was $295,795, and more than half of all new permits originated from the counties of Hillsborough (382 permits) and Pasco (366 permits).

Orlando

The Orlando area ranked #3 for new home construction, having 1,265 new permits with a total construction value in excess of $433.5M on record with HBW last month.  The average value of new home construction was $342,701, and the majority of new residential construction permits originated from the counties of Orange (426 permits) and Brevard (364 permits).

Jacksonville

Last month, there were nearly 830 new residential construction permits with a total value of $229.4M on record for the Jacksonville area. The average value of construction was lowest in Jacksonville (average value: $277,421) in comparison to other Florida regions reviewed, and the bulk of new home construction activity took place in the counties of St. Johns (328 permits) and Duval (244 permits).

Southeast

During the month of February, the southeastern region of Florida carried the lowest level of new home construction activity in comparison to other Florida regions reviewed; during the one-month period, there were 607 new permits with a total construction value of approximately $255.6M; the average value of new home construction was highest in the southeast (average value: $421,071), and the counties with the greatest concentration of new residential construction permits were St. Lucie (273 permits) and Palm Beach (160 permits).

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.

Permit Update: New Swimming Pool Construction in Florida – February 2023

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New swimming pool construction permit data is now available in the HBW database.

During the month of February, more than 1,925 new swimming pool construction permits with a total value of $142.2 million were added to the HBW database for Florida. From total permits and average value of construction to leading counties and contractors, here is a quick overview of the latest data on record for new pool construction in the Sunshine State last month:

Permits

Out of the five regions reviewed (Southwest, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Southeast), the highest concentration of new pool construction activity could be found in the southwestern region of the state (491 permits), while the fewest permits originated from Jacksonville (195 permits). When looking at the average value of construction in each region, Jacksonville (average value: $105,424) took the lead with the highest average value of construction, while the lowest average value could be found in Orlando (average value: $63,593).

Top Counties

Approximately 30 counties were accounted for in the latest regional construction data reports, and the following ranked as the top five statewide for total new permits on record for the one-month period:

  1. Palm Beach County (Southeast) – 165 permits
  2. Lee County (Southwest) – 143 permits
  3. Hillsborough County (Tampa) – 142 permits
  4. Orange County (Orlando) – 140 permits
  5. Polk County (Tampa) – 112 permits

Top Pool Builders

Last month, there were hundreds of contractors with new swimming pool construction permits on record with HBW, and the following ranked as the #1 pool builder (based on total permits) in each of the five Florida regions:

Orlando: Bob’s Pool Service (65 permits)

Tampa: Bob’s Pool Service (58 permits)

Southeast: A&G Concrete Pools (26 permits)

Southwest: Pinnacle USA (25 permits)

Jacksonville: Epic Pools & Hardscape Construction (13 permits)

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.

Texas Top Home Builders – February 2023

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A list of the leading home builders across Texas based on the latest construction permit data on record with HBW for the month of February.

As reported on the blog last week, Texas exhibited a 5 percent month-over-month increase in new home construction during the month of February, resulting in approximately 3,710 new permits with a total construction value of nearly $1.1 billion added to the HBW database. While we have already reviewed the total amount of permits and counties where new home construction was on a high, today we are using HBW’s construction data reports to identify the leading home builders driving construction throughout the Lone Star State.

In Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, two companies took top placement on the leaderboard for new residential construction – Lennar Homes and D.R. Horton.  Last month, both mega builders (Lennar Homes and D.R. Horton) carried the greatest volume of housing starts, having 532 and 267 new residential construction permits on record with HBW respectively.  In Austin, BBL Building Company (77 permits) ranked as the top builder for the one-month period.

From a regional perspective, leading home builders varied by area last month – Here is a look at the top five home builders in each major Texas area, based on the total number of new permits on record with HBW:

Houston

BuilderTotal Permits Average Value
1-Lennar Homes270 $      177,283.00
2-D.R. Horton89 $      239,507.00
3-David Weekley Homes74 $      275,888.00
4-K Hovnanian Homes74 $      151,617.00
5-Perry Homes58 $      420,966.00

Dallas

BuilderTotal Permits Average Value
1-Lennar Homes163 $      236,703.00
2-D.R. Horton91 $      212,226.00
3-Trophy Signature Homes47 $      236,930.00
4-Beazer Homes32 $      428,760.00
5-Gehan Homes29 $      219,563.00

Austin

BuilderTotal Permits Average Value
1-BBL Building Co77 $      175,806.00
2-D.R. Horton44 $      216,313.00
3-Highland Homes22 $      648,985.00
4-Pulte Homes21 $      530,796.00
5-Austin Concrete Development17 $      196,582.00

San Antonio

BuilderTotal Permits Average Value
1-Lennar Homes84 $      178,001.00
2-D.R. Horton43 $      203,526.00
3-LGI Homes15 $      220,467.00
4-AHV Vertical14 $      202,377.00
5-Tri Pointe Homes13 $      631,938.00

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.

Texas New Home Construction Review – February 2023

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A summary of the latest residential construction permit data on record for Texas with HBW for the month of February 2023

During the month of February, the Lone Star State experienced a 5 percent month-over-month increase in new residential construction, resulting in approximately 3,710 new permits with a total construction value of nearly $1.1 billion added to the HBW database.  Out of the four major metro areas reviewed (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio), Houston held the highest concentration of new home construction (1,736 permits), while the highest average value of construction could be found in Austin (average value: $339,736).

Here is a closer look at the total number of new residential permits and related construction activity on record with HBW for the month of February:

Houston

As previously noted, Houston carried the greatest volume of new home construction in comparison to other Texas metro areas reviewed, having 1,736 new permits with a total construction value of $453M on record for the one-month period.  The average value of new residential construction was $260,962, and more than half of all new permits originated from the County of Harris (915 permits).

Dallas

Dallas ranked #2 for new home construction last month, having 1,156 new permits with a total construction value of nearly $385M on record with HBW.  The average value of new residential construction projects landed on the higher end of the spectrum in Dallas (average value: $332,952) in comparison to other areas reviewed, and more than half of all new construction activity for the month took place in the counties of Tarrant (338 permits) and Collin (267 permits).

Austin

In Austin, there were approximately 430 new permits with a total construction value of nearly $146M last month.  The average value of construction in the Austin area (average value: $339,736) was higher than any other Texas region reviewed, and the county with the highest concentration of new home construction activity on record for the month was Travis with 193 new permits.

San Antonio

Last month, there were nearly 390 new residential construction permits with a total value of approximately $92.5 million in the San Antonio area.  The average value of new home construction was lowest in San Antonio (average value: $238,322) in comparison to other regions reviewed, and the majority of permits originated from Bexar County (217 permits).

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.

Top Texas Pool Builders – February 2023

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An overview of permit data and leading builders for new swimming pool construction in Texas during the month of February

Last month, there were approximately 520 new swimming pool construction permits with a total value of nearly $30M added to the HBW database for the Lone Star State.  Out of the four major metro areas reviewed (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio), Dallas held the greatest concentration of new permits (247 permits), while Houston had the highest average value of construction ($72,520).

While there wasn’t one single builder that dominated across the state, we identified top contractors in each major metro area based on the total number of new permits on record for the one-month period.  Here is a breakdown of new swimming pool construction in the four major metro areas of Texas during the month of February:

Dallas

Last month, there were more than 135 active builders in the Dallas area who contributed to a total of 247 swimming pool construction permits with a total value of approximately $13.6M.

Average Value of Construction: $55,006

Top Builders:

1-Riverbend Pools
2-Claffey Pools
3-Robertson Pools

Houston

In Houston, there were more than 90 active pool builders responsible for generating more than 135 new permits with a total construction value of approximately $9.9M.  Houston held the highest average value of new pool construction out of the four metro areas reviewed.

Average Value of Construction: $72,520

Top Builders:

1-Platinum Pools
2-Avree Pools
3-Premier Pools

Austin

In Austin, new pool construction was somewhat evenly shared by all of the active builders in the area.  From the 43 pool builders with new construction on record in Austin, there were 67 new permits with a total construction value in excess of $4.1M on file with HBW last month.

Average Value of Construction: $61,862

Top Builders:

1- Cody Pools
2-Premier Pools & Spas of Austin
3-Fun N Sun Pools of Austin

San Antonio

In San Antonio, there were 68 new swimming pool construction permits with a total value of more than $2.3M added to the HBW database last month. There were nearly 35 pool builders with new construction activity on record for the one-month period, with the top three carrying 30 percent of all new permits.

Average Value of Construction: $34,469

Top Builders:

1-Cody Pools
2-Keith Zars Pools
3-Gary Pools

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.