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HBW Report: Texas Residential Construction – June 2021

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of the latest permit data for new residential construction in Texas during the month of June 2021

Based on HBW’s latest construction data reports, there were approximately 7,700 housing starts with a total construction value of nearly $1.9 billion in Texas last month. Out of the four major metro areas that were included in the report (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin), Houston ranked #1 for total housing starts (3,090 permits), while Dallas continued to hold the lead for higher value residential construction, having an average value of new home construction in excess of $250k.

Here is a look at the new residential construction permit data on record for each of the four major cities in Texas during the month of June 2021:

Houston

As noted above, Houston ranked #1 for new home construction last month, having 3,090 housing starts with a total construction value of nearly $732 million. The average value of new residential construction projects was $236,856, and half of all new permits originated from Harris County where there were 1,545 housing starts for the one-month period.

Dallas

Dallas ranked #2 for new home construction, having 2,565 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $647 million last month. The average value of new home construction was $252,379, and the bulk of all new home construction activity took place in the two counties of Tarrant (1,084 permits) and Collin (765 permits).

San Antonio

Last month, there were approximately 1,049 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $221.6 million in the San Antonio area. The average value of new home construction was lowest in San Antonio (average value: $211,256) in comparison to other Texas regions reviewed, and more than half of all new permits originated from the County of Bexar (670 permits).

Austin

In Austin, there were 990 housing starts with a total construction value of nearly $286 million last month. The average value of new home construction was highest in the Austin area (average value: $288,673) in comparison to other Texas regions reviewed, and the county with the greatest concentration of new home construction activity was Travis County where there were 533 housing starts during the one-month period.

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 – May 2021

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of the leading home builders throughout Texas based on new permit activity on record with HBW during the month of May 2021

Earlier this week, we reported on the rise in new residential construction throughout Texas, where we noted a month-over-month increase in housing starts of approximately 34 percent, resulting in 10,370 new permits on record with HBW for the month of May. When taking a deeper dive into HBW’s construction data reports, we are able to identify the contractors and companies that are driving new home construction in the Lone Star State, and within each of the four major metro areas of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

The result: D.R. Horton and Lennar Homes continue to lead in most Texas metro regions. Last month, both home builders carried nearly 20 percent of all new residential construction permits on record, having 1,200 and 729 new permits respectively for the one-month period.

Based on total housing starts on record last month, here is a closer look at the top five home builders in each of the four metro areas of Texas:

Dallas

Last month, there were nearly 250 contractors with new home construction activity on record in the Dallas area, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits during the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits
1-D.R. Horton	304
2-First Texas Homes	178
3-Lennar Homes	152
4-Trophy Signature Homes	144
5-LGI Homes	143

Houston

In Houston, there were nearly 360 home builders with new construction activity on record with HBW last month, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits
1-D.R. Horton	592
2-Lennar Homes	383
3-Camillo Properties	231
4-Perry Homes	212
5-K Hovnanian Homes	194

Austin

Last month, there were approximately 85 contractors with new home construction activity on record with HBW for the Austin area, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits during the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits
1-D.R. Horton	286
2-Lennar Homes	150
3-Pulte Homes	116
4-Taylor Morrison Homes	97
5-Brookfield Residential Texas Homes	90

San Antonio

In the San Antonio area, there were 90 contractors with new residential construction activity on record with HBW for the month May, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits during the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Continental Homes of Texas	94
2-Lennar Homes	44
3-Gehan Homes	40
4-M/I Homes	39
5-KB Homes	38

Texas Residential Construction Review – May 2021

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Erika Carruth

An HBW report on the latest permit data for new residential construction in Texas during the month of May 2021

Based on the latest construction data reports from HBW, new home construction is gaining in the metro areas of Texas. From the four major areas of Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio there were more than 10,370 housing starts added to the HBW database last month, reflecting just about a 34 percent month-over-month increase in new residential construction. Out of those four metro areas, nearly 80 percent of all new home construction originated from Houston and Dallas, where there were 4,734 and 3,396 new permits on record respectively for the one-month period.

When looking at the value of construction, the average value of new permits added to the HBW database for Texas last month ranged from a low of $204,411 to a high of $285,979, with Dallas continuing to lead the way for higher value projects.

Here is a closer look at the latest permit data for new home construction in the four major metro areas of Texas during the month of May 2021:

Houston

In Houston, there were 4,734 housing starts with a total construction value of nearly $968 million last month. The average value of new home construction was lowest in the Houston area (average value: $204,411) in comparison to other Texas areas reviewed, and just about half of all new residential construction permits originated from Harris County where there were 2,323 housing starts for the one-month period.

Dallas

Dallas ranked #2 for new home construction, having 3,396 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $971 million last month. As previously noted, the average value of new home construction was highest in Dallas (average value: $285,979) in comparison to other areas reviewed, and the bulk of new construction activity took place in the two counties of Collin (1,207 permits) and Tarrant (1,145 permits).

Austin

Last month, there were 1,614 housing starts with a total construction value of approximately $430.5 million in the Austin area. The average value of new home construction was $266,729, and nearly half of all new permits originated from Travis County (776 permits).

San Antonio

In San Antonio, there were 627 housing starts with a total construction value of nearly $155 million during the month of May. The average value of new home construction landed mid-range (average value: $246,369) in comparison to other Texas areas reviewed, and more than half of all new permits originated from the County of Comal where there were 347 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for the one-month period.

Tips for Increasing Website Traffic

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of a few basic actions you can take now to attract more visitors to your company’s website

When most of us hear the word “traffic” we cringe, thinking of stress-inducing waiting times and crowded roadways, but when it comes to your website “traffic” is exactly what you need. It’s quite simple really… the more traffic you have, the more visibility you gain, and ultimately the more potential customers are viewing your products and/or services.

So, how do we go about increasing website traffic? Of course, there is the obvious – launch ad campaigns, pay for “clicks” and pave the road with paid ads across all possible “on ramps” to your site, but ads are simply not enough. With the advancements in SEO and Google rankings, you will need to do more than pay for an ad here and there, not to mention the fact that larger companies with deeper pockets may be making your ad a small fish in a big pond.

For this reason, here are a few cost-effective actions you can take now to increase traffic to your website:

1 – Backlinks – While the word may sound technical or like some sort of secret way to gain access to your website, it is really one of the most basic ways to organically increase web traffic and improve your rankings with search engines. Backlinks are merely other websites providing a hyperlink back to your website – Yes, it’s that simple. By having other websites (think trade associations, industry partners, blogs, publications, etc.) offer a link back to your website, you are creating an indirect endorsement in the eyes of search engines; it’s a bit like one company saying, “I approve of this other company, so go ahead and take a look”. And while it may be tempting, you should never create excessive backlinks with partners just for the sake of backlinks, and you certainly do not want to purchase backlinks; if you are identified as a site that has purchased backlinks, Google has the right to penalize you by removing your site from search results – not a punishment any business wants to face.

2- Security – When we talk about security of your website, we are not talking about bouncers and bodyguards. Instead, we are talking about SSL certificates and secure online payments (if you have an online store). Believe it or not, many websites are not secure, and attaining an SSL certificate costs very little in both time and money. As for the bouncers and bodyguards, that will come in the form of taking appropriate steps to ensure that your website has a reliable host and running on the most updated version of the website builder/platform.

3- Mobilize – No, you don’t have to move anywhere, but you will want to make sure that your site is available to visitors who are “on the move”. Search engines (and users) are weighing the mobile experience of websites heavier than that of the desktop. According to recent reports, just about 70 percent of all web traffic originates from smartphones; those are statistics that make it worthwhile to optimize the mobile experience.

4 – Keep Up the Pace – Although speed is not usually the first thing we think about from a marketing perspective, the speed of your website plays an important role in keeping visitors on any given page. In fact, it has been reported that just a one second delay on a website reduces customer satisfaction by 16 percent, not to mention that speed can also impact your website’s performance with search engines. Just test it for yourself – Clear your history and cache on your browser (or use a browser that has not previously visited your site) and go to your website to see how quickly the images and pages load. If it takes too long for the full page and all content to be front and center, it is time to review and maybe even upgrade your website. Delays can be caused by multiple factors, including but not limited to excessively large media files, bulky code, missing files, invalid links and more.

5 – Aim for Your Target – In order for your ads, links and online marketing (and all marketing) efforts to be effective, you will need to know your target audience. Where is the greatest need for your services, who is your competition, and what is the market doing right now? The good news for HBW subscribers is that you have access to market trend reports and construction permit data that enable you to identify hot spots for your services and competition, as well as use archived reports to assess and monitor fluctuations and patterns in the market.

So, what are you waiting for? Start gaining visibility for your website by creating secure and reliable roadways where heavy traffic is a welcome sign of success.

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 Swimming Pool Construction Report – April 2021

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A monthly review of the latest permit data for new swimming pool construction in Florida during the month of April 2021

Based on the latest construction data reports from HBW, there were approximately 2,850 new swimming pool permits with a total construction value in excess of $144 million added to the HBW database for Florida during the month of April 2021. Out of the five major regions reviewed (Southwest, Tampa, Orlando, Southeast, Jacksonville), the greatest volume of new pool permits could be found in the Southwest (977 permits), while the highest average value of new swimming pool construction could be found in the Jacksonville area (average value: $57,341).

From total permits and average construction values to leading counties and contractors, here is breakdown of the permit data available from the HBW database for new swimming pool construction in Florida during the month of April:

Southwest

As previously noted, the southwestern region of Florida carried greatest concentration of new swimming pool construction in comparison to other Florida regions reviewed, having 977 new permits with a total construction value in excess of $48.5 million. The average value of new pool construction was $49,660, and the majority of all permits originated from the counties of Lee and Collier where there were 379 and 256 permits respectively.

Out of the more than 170 contractors with new swimming pool construction on record with HBW for the southwestern region of Florida in April, the following ranked as the top three for total permits:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Aragon Pools & Spas	147
2-Pinnacle USA	54
3-Serenity Pool & Spa	43

Southeast

The southeastern region of Florida ranked #2 for new pool construction, having 626 permits with a total construction value of nearly $26.5 million. The average value of new pool construction was lowest in the Southeast (average value: $42,265) in comparison to other regions reviewed, and the county with the highest concentration of new pool construction activity was Palm Beach (228 permits).

Out of the approximately 200 contractors with new swimming pool construction in the southeastern region of Florida during the month of April, the following ranked as the top three for total permits:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Swimming Pool Contractors	53
2-Van Kirk & Sons	22
3-Fountain Blue Pool Services	22

Orlando

During the month of April, there were more than 505 new swimming pool construction permits with a total value of approximately $28 million added to the HBW database for Orlando. The average value of new pool construction was $55,081, and nearly half of all new permits originated from Orange County (236 permits).

Out of the approximately 120 contractors with new swimming pool construction on record for Orlando during the month of April, the following ranked as the top three for total permits:

Builder	Total Permits
1-American Pools & Spas	36
2-Holland Pools	31
3-All Seasons	28

Tampa

In Tampa, there were 437 new swimming pool permits with a total construction value of nearly $24 million added to the HBW database for the month of April. The average value of new pool construction was $54,537, and the county with the greatest concentration of new pool construction activity was Pasco County where there were 146 new permits for the one-month period.

Out of the more than 115 contractors with new swimming pool construction on record for Tampa in April, the following ranked as the top three for total permits:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Tropical Escapes Pool & Spa	30
2-T&D Pool Construction	24
3-Bob’s Pool Service	22

Jacksonville

During the month of April, Jacksonville carried the least amount of new swimming pool construction activity in comparison to other regions reviewed, having just over 300 new permits with a total construction value in excess of $17.3 million; at the same time, Jacksonville exhibited the highest average value of new swimming pool construction (average value: $57,341), and well more than half of all new permits originated from the counties of St. Johns (133 permits) and Duval (71 permits).

Out of the nearly 90 contractors with new swimming pool construction on record in the Jacksonville area for the month of April, the following ranked as the top three for total permits:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Waterside Pools	16
2-Pools by John Clarkson	15
3-Stanley Pools	12

Florida Top Home Builders – April 2021

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of the leading home builders in the Sunshine State based on the total number of housing starts on record with HBW during the month of April 2021

Earlier this week, we reviewed permit data for new home construction in Florida, and we found that there were approximately 8,520 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database for the month of April 2021. Today, we are taking a deeper dive into the same construction data reports to identify the home builders driving new residential construction in five major regions of Florida: Southwest, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Southeast.

Statewide, there were two mega builders that have and continue to dominate the residential construction market – Both D.R. Horton and Lennar Homes carried nearly 25 percent of all new residential construction activity in Florida last month, having 1,154 and 905 new permits on record with HBW respectively.

Here is a look at the top five builders in each of the Florida regions reviewed based on total housing starts on record with HBW for the one-month period:

Southwest

In the southwestern region of Florida, there were approximately 365 active home builders with new construction activity on record with HBW for the month of April, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits	Average Value
1-Lennar Homes	326	$ 135,512.00
2-D.R. Horton	249	$ 202,835.00
3-Pulte Homes	217	$ 192,573.00
4-Taylor Morrison	168	$ 183,726.00
5-Neal Communities of SW FL	94	$ 252,868.00

Tampa

Last month, there were approximately 225 active home builders with new construction activity on record with HBW for the Tampa area, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits	Average Value
1-D.R. Horton	245	$ 243,212.00
2-The Villages of Lake Sumter	161	$ 296,851.00
3-Lennar Homes	95	$ 231,887.00
4-Highland Homes	92	$ 235,812.00
5-Meritage Homes	89	$ 268,571.00

Orlando

Last month, there were more than 165 active home builders with new construction activity on record with HBW for the Orlando area, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits	Average Value
1-D.R. Horton	304	$ 250,572.00
2-Lennar Homes	223	$ 325,923.00
3-Pulte Homes	80	$ 246,168.00
4-Taylor Morrison	63	$ 266,774.00
5-Meritage Homes	63	$ 238,676.00

Jacksonville

In Jacksonville, there were more than 140 active home builders with new construction activity on record with HBW last month, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits	Average Value
1-D.R. Horton	283	$ 202,617.00
2-Lennar Homes	230	$ 220,543.00
3-KB Homes	131	$ 146,316.00
4-Dream Finders Construction	110	$ 221,575.00
5-Pulte Homes	82	$ 193,376.00

Southeast

Last month, there were approximately 160 active contractors with new residential construction activity on record with HBW for the southeastern region of Florida, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits	Average Value
1-GL Building Corp	106	$ 447,084.00
2-Holiday Builders	84	$ 241,172.00
3-D.R. Horton	73	$ 180,407.00
4-Pulte Homes	55	$ 331,383.00
5-Kolter Signature Homes	47	$ 137,948.00

Florida Residential Construction Report – April 2021

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of permit data for new home construction in Florida during the month of April 2021

In Florida, there were approximately 8,520 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $2.2 billion added to the HBW database last month.

Top Markets

Out of the five regions reviewed (Southwest, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Southeast), more than half of all housing starts originated from the Southwest and Tampa areas last month where there were 2,492 and 1,867 new residential construction permits added to the HBW database respectively. Following the Southwest and Tampa, higher concentrations of new home construction could also be found in Orlando (1,724 permits), as well as the Jacksonville area (1,609 permits).

Leading Counties

Out of the five regions reviewed last month, there were several counties that reflected a high volume of new residential construction activity; those counties include Polk County (727 permits) and Pasco County (662 permits) in the Tampa area, and Lee County (646 permits) in the southwestern region. Additionally, Manatee County (Southwest) and Duval County (Jacksonville) exhibited a higher volume of housing starts in comparison to other counties across the state as there were 599 and 582 new permits on record for the one-month period respectively.

Average Value of Construction

Last month, the average value of new home construction across the Sunshine State ranged from a high of $312,602 (Southeast) to a low of $228,737 (Jacksonville), with the Southeast leading and having the highest average value of new home construction in comparison to other Florida regions reviewed. Here is a look at the average value of new home construction statewide during the month of April:

Texas Swimming Pool Construction Review – April 2021

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of the latest permit data for new swimming pool construction in Texas during the month of April 2021

Last month, there were approximately 1,000 new swimming pool permits with a total construction value of nearly $55.5M added to the HBW database for Texas. Out of the four metro areas reviewed (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio), Dallas (477 permits) carried the greatest volume of new pool construction activity, while Austin (average value: $76,346) held the highest average value of new pool construction for the month.

Here is a breakdown of the total permits, average value of construction and leading contractors in each of the four major metro areas of the Lone Star State during the month of April 2021:

Dallas

As previously noted, Dallas ranked #1 for new pool construction having 477 new swimming pool construction permits on record last month. The average value of new pool construction landed mid-range in Dallas (average value: $46,257) in comparison to other areas reviewed, and the county with the highest concentration of new pool construction activity was Tarrant County (131 permits).

Out of the 170 contractors with new pool construction on record in Dallas last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits:

#1 – Puryear Custom Pools

#2 – Hauk Custom Pools

#3 – Claffey Pools

Houston

Last month, Houston ranked #2 for new swimming pool construction, having 414 new permits on record with HBW for the one-month period. The average value of new pool construction landed on the higher end of the spectrum in Houston (average value: $63,667) in comparison to other Texas areas reviewed, and more than half of all new construction took place in Harris County (252 permits).

Out of the nearly 170 pool contractors with new construction activity on record with HBW in Houston last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits:

#1 – Platinum Pools

#2 – McKinney Custom Pools

#3 – Anthony & Sylvan Pools

Austin

For the Austin area, there were more than 80 new swimming pool permits added to the HBW database last month. The average value of new pool construction was highest in Austin (average value: $76,346) in comparison to other Texas metro areas reviewed, and more than half of all new permits originated from the County of Travis (49 permits).

Out of the 40 contractors with new pool construction in Austin last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits on record with HBW:

#1 – Cody Pools

#2 – Anthony & Sylvan Pools

#3 – Majestic Poolscape

San Antonio

Last month, the San Antonio area carried a low level of new pool construction, as well as a low average value of new projects, having 26 new permits on record with HBW for the one-month period. The average value of new pool construction was $29,897, and nearly all permits originated from Bexar County (20 permits).

Out of the nearly 20 contractors with new pool construction activity on record in San Antonio last month, the following ranked as the top three for total new permits:

#1 – Aquamarine Pools

#2 – Keith Zars Pools

#3 – Cody Pools

Texas Top Home Builders – April 2021

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of leading home builders in Texas during the month of April 2021

Last week, we reviewed new residential construction permit data in Texas for the month of April and discovered that there were approximately 7,745 residential construction permits with a total value of nearly $2 billion added to the HBW database for Texas. This week, we are taking a closer look into HBW’s construction data reports to identify the leading contractors that are driving residential construction in each of the four major metro areas of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Across the four areas, two home builders have and continue to lead residential construction in terms of housing starts. Last month, D.R. Horton and Lennar Homes each had 740 and 615 new residential construction permits on record respectively; in addition to landing on the top of the leaderboard in most areas reviewed, they accounted for 18 percent of all new home construction in Texas for the one-month period.

Here is a closer look at the top five home builders for total new permits in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio during the month of April 2021:

Houston

Last month, there were more than 360 home builders with new construction activity on record with HBW in the Houston area, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Lennar Homes	283
2-D.R. Horton	252
3-K Hovnanian Homes	138
4-Pulte Homes	118
5-Perry Homes	96

Dallas

In Dallas, there were more than 220 contractors with new home construction on record with HBW for the month of April, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits during the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits
1-D.R. Horton	371
2-First Texas Homes	179
3-Pulte Homes	152
4-Lennar Homes	140
5-Trophy Signature Homes	139

Austin

Last month, there were 85 contractors in Austin with new residential construction on record with HBW, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Lennar Homes	183
2-D.R. Horton	117
3-Pulte Homes	84
4-Brookfield Residential Texas Homes	81
5-Taylor Morrison Homes	64

San Antonio

In San Antonio, there were approximately 75 home builders with new construction activity on record with HBW last month, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits during the one-month period:

Builder	Total Permits
1-Tri Pointe Homes	29
2-Continental Homes of Texas	13
3-Trendmaker Homes	11
4-Bellaire-Hagen	10
5-Bella Vista CMI	10

HBW Report: Texas Residential Construction – April 2021

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Erika Carruth

A review of new residential construction throughout Texas during the month of April 2021

Based on the latest construction data reports available from HBW, there were approximately 7,745 residential construction permits with a total value of nearly $2 billion added to the HBW database for Texas last month. Out of the four major Texas metro areas reviewed (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio), the greatest volume and highest average value of housing starts could be found in the Dallas area where there were 3,263 new permits with an average construction value of nearly $296k for the one-month period.

Here is a closer look at the total permits, construction values and leading counties for new home construction in Texas during the month of April 2021:

Dallas

As noted above, Dallas carried both the greatest volume and highest average value of new home construction in comparison to other Texas areas reviewed last month, having 3,263 new permits with a total construction value in excess of $965.6 million added to the HBW database. The average value of construction was highest in Dallas (average value: $295,933), and more than half of all new permits originated from the counties of Collin (1,487 permits) and Tarrant (646 permits).

Houston

Last month, Houston ranked #2 for new home construction having 3,090 housing starts with a total construction value in excess of $655 million on record with HBW. The average value of new residential construction projects was lowest in the Houston area (average value: $212,054) in comparison to other metro areas reviewed, and more than half of all new permits originated from Harris County (1,645 permits).

Austin

In Austin, there were 1,138 housing starts with a total construction value of $294.4 million during the month of April. The average value of new home construction landed mid-range in Austin (average value: $258,732) in comparison to other Texas areas reviewed, and the majority of all new construction took place in the two counties of Travis and Williamson where there were 538 and 435 new permits respectively.

San Antonio

Last month, there were just over 250 housing starts with a total construction value of approximately $73.5 million in San Antonio. The average value of new home construction landed on the higher end of the spectrum (average value: $291,623) in comparison to other metro areas reviewed, and more than half of all new construction took place in Bexar County where there were 131 permits on record for the one-month period.