Residential Building Futures

With the declining rate of residential construction permits issued this year compared to last has come a corresponding drop in the aggregate value of such permits. During the first five months of this year, the most recent period for which information is available, permits with a total value of $645.7 million were issued--30% less than the total for the comparable period last year. In fact, this is the lowest five-month total during the last five years.

The overall decline masks vast differences around the county. For example, Mission Viejo’s 1990 total is 94% below 1989, the largest decline for any city. At the same time, six cities had better than 100% increases.

Here’s how the changes line up from city to city, listed from largest decline to largest increase:

Jan.-May Jan.-May Percentage City 1989 * 1990 * Change Mission Viejo $130,515 $8,122 -94 La Habra 18,336 1,573 -91 Fullerton 29,531 9,212 -69 Huntington Beach 28,915 14,352 -50 Santa Ana 20,982 11,290 -46 Yorba Linda 57,916 38,209 -34 Unincorporated areas 374,380 247,749 -34 Orange 47,433 35,984 -24 Newport Beach 32,821 25,627 -22 San Juan Capistrano 23,277 19,735 -15 San Clemente 27,847 24,383 -12 Anaheim 38,100 37,078 -3 Tustin 11,461 11,216 -2 Fountain Valley 3,057 3,202 +5 Seal Beach 5,191 5,459 +5 Villa Park 3,312 3,669 +11 Buena Park 5,327 6,192 +16 Laguna Beach 10,767 12,733 +18 Garden Grove 11,017 13,295 +21 Westminster 3,571 6,058 +70 Placentia 1,998 3,511 +76 Costa Mesa 6,324 12,511 +98 Los Alamitos 665 1,379 +107 Irvine 18,452 50,695 +175 Cypress 2,464 6,920 +181 Stanton 348 1,508 +333 Brea 1,656 8,267 +399 La Palma 480 4,681 +875 Dana Point N/A 21,084 -- Laguna Niguel N/A N/A -- COUNTY TOTAL $916,143 $645,694 -30

* Amounts are listed in thousands of dollars and include alterations and additions as well as new construction

N/A: Information not available, included in “unincorporated areas” total

Source: Construction Industry Research Board