Jacksonville permitted 409 new houses in September, up from 281 a year ago, but no apartment buildings. Single-family permits are up 15% for the year.
Jacksonville issued building permits for 409 new single-family houses in September. That is up from 281 in September 2025, an increase of 46%. It was the second-highest monthly count this year, after August’s 483.
No permits were issued for apartment buildings. That pulled the month’s total down to 411 new homes, from 522 a year earlier.
The figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey. The city’s permit office is listed as Jacksonville-Duval County.
What was permitted in September
The Census Bureau’s September file shows 411 new homes in 410 buildings:
| Building type | Buildings | Homes | Construction value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family houses | 409 | 409 | $80,430,258 |
| Two-unit buildings | 1 | 2 | $120,000 |
| Three- and four-unit buildings | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Five or more units | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Total | 410 | 411 | $80,550,258 |
In September 2025, the city permitted 522 homes:
- 281 houses
- four homes in two two-unit buildings
- 237 apartments in four buildings
The average construction value on a September house permit was about $197,000. That is the builder’s estimate of the cost to build, as declared on the permit. It is not a sale price and does not include the land.
The year so far
From January to September, the city permitted 4,954 new homes, according to the bureau’s year-to-date file. That is 286 more than in the same nine months of 2025, up 6.1%. The 2025 year-to-date file has the comparison.
| January to September | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family houses | 2,788 | 3,208 |
| Homes in two-unit buildings | 12 | 42 |
| Homes in three- and four-unit buildings | 0 | 4 |
| Homes in buildings of five or more | 1,868 | 1,700 |
| Total homes | 4,668 | 4,954 |
Single-family permits are up 15.1% on last year. Apartment permits are down 9%, at 1,700 against 1,868.
Monthly house permits have been above 300 in every month since February. The monthly counts in the chart come from the bureau’s monthly files for each month of 2026.
Apartment permits come in bursts. The city permitted large buildings in four months of 2026: March, April, June and August. August alone had 623 apartments in 28 buildings, as we reported for that month. One large complex can swing a month’s total, so the year-to-date figure is the better guide.
The beaches and Baldwin
Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Baldwin issue their own permits and are counted separately. In September, the bureau’s file shows:
- Jacksonville Beach: nine houses, plus one building with nine apartments
- Atlantic Beach: three houses
- Neptune Beach: one house
- Baldwin: one house and one two-unit building
What the count covers
The survey counts homes authorized by a permit. It does not count homes finished or sold, and some permitted homes are never built. The Census Bureau revises its figures in an annual file.
What it means for you
More house permits mean more construction traffic and more new neighbors in the parts of the county that are still building out. If land is being cleared near you, a permit search shows what is planned there.
Our building permits and zoning page explains how to look up a permit or a rezoning near you. For prices, see our page on home prices. Our weekly real estate transfers list shows what is selling.
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