Building permits, August 2026
Released: 2026-10-14
$13.6 billion
August 2026
8.8% 
(monthly change)
$0.1 billion
August 2026
-14.6% 
(monthly change)
$0.1 billion
August 2026
-12.2%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
August 2026
21.0%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
August 2026
-35.6%
(monthly change)
$2.9 billion
August 2026
3.9%
(monthly change)
$5.1 billion
August 2026
9.4%
(monthly change)
$0.5 billion
August 2026
26.9%
(monthly change)
$0.3 billion
August 2026
15.9%
(monthly change)
$2.0 billion
August 2026
21.7%
(monthly change)
$2.1 billion
August 2026
7.5%
(monthly change)
In August, the total value of building permits issued in Canada rose $1.1 billion (+8.8%) to $13.6 billion. The increase in construction intentions was led by the residential sector (+$1.1 billion), while the non-residential sector (-$29.8 million) showed little change.
On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), the total value of building permits issued in August grew 8.6% from the previous month and was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis.
Chart 1
Total value of building permits, seasonally adjusted
Infographic 1
Building permits, August 2026
Multi-unit component drives residential construction growth
Residential construction intentions rose $1.1 billion to $8.5 billion in August. The increase was attributable to the multi-unit component (+$1.1 billion to $5.8 billion), while the single-family component (-$0.7 million to $2.6 billion) edged down.
Ontario (+$696.0 million) led the gains in the multi-unit component in August, followed by British Columbia (+$189.8 million) and Alberta (+$115.9 million). Overall, seven provinces and two territories contributed to the increase.
In August, the decline in the single-family component was led by Alberta (-$32.7 million), followed by the Northwest Territories (-$10.9 million) and Manitoba (-$7.9 million).
Across Canada, 21,800 multi-unit dwellings and 4,000 single-family dwellings were authorized in August, up 12.8% from the previous month. Over the 12-month period from September 2025 to August 2026, the total number of multi-unit and single-family dwellings authorized was 299,500, a decrease from 305,500 in the previous 12-month period.
Chart 2
Number of units authorized for the residential sector and for the single-family and multi-family components
Chart 3
Value of building permits for the residential and non-residential sectors
Chart 4
Value of building permits for the single-family and multi-family components
Chart 5
Value of building permits for the industrial, commercial and institutional components
Commercial construction intentions put downward pressure on the non-residential sector
The value of non-residential building permits edged down $29.8 million to $5.1 billion in August. The decline in the commercial component (-$380.0 million to $2.2 billion) was largely offset by gains in the industrial component (+$317.3 million to $1.1 billion) and, to a lesser extent, the institutional component (+$32.9 million to $1.8 billion).
In August, the decrease in the commercial component was led by Quebec (-$317.4 million), followed by British Columbia (-$122.0 million). Alberta (+$95.4 million) tempered the decline.
The gain in the industrial component in August was led by Alberta (+$169.3 million), followed by Quebec (+$134.8 million). Overall, seven provinces and two territories contributed to the increase.
Meanwhile, the moderate growth in the institutional component was driven by Quebec (+$188.5 million), followed by British Columbia (+$68.3 million), while Ontario (-$211.2 million) tempered the increase.
To explore data using an interactive user interface, visit the Building permits: Interactive Dashboard.
For more information on construction, please visit the Construction statistics portal.
For more information on housing, please visit the Housing statistics portal.
Note to readers
This content was created with the assistance of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool and refined and verified by Statistics Canada experts. To learn more about how we use AI responsibly, please visit the Trust Centre.
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data with current dollar values, which facilitate month-to-month and quarter-to-quarter comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. For information on seasonal adjustment, see the page Seasonal adjustment: Concepts and interpretation, 2026.
For information on trend-cycle data, see the page Trend-cycle estimation: Concepts, interpretation, and calculation, 2026.
Data may not add up to totals as a result of rounding.
Building components
- Single-family dwellings: Residential buildings containing only one dwelling unit (e.g., single-detached house, bungalow, linked home [linked at the foundation]).
- Multi-family dwellings: Residential buildings containing multiple dwelling units (e.g., apartment, apartment condominium, row house, semi-detached house).
- Industrial buildings: Buildings used in the processing or production of goods or related to transportation and communication.
- Commercial buildings: Buildings used in the trade or distribution of goods and services, including office buildings.
- Institutional and government buildings: Buildings used to house public and semi-public services, such as those related to health and welfare, education or public administration, and buildings used for religious services.
Revision
Data are subject to revisions based on late responses, methodological changes and classification updates. Unadjusted data in current dollars have been revised for the previous month; unadjusted data in constant dollars have been revised for the previous two months. Seasonally adjusted data in current dollars have been revised for the previous two months; seasonally adjusted data in constant dollars have been revised for the previous three months.
Next release
Data on building permits for September will be released on November 12.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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