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Commercial building boosts construction industry

By Bill Moss, Published: May 20, 2013

New commercial projects pushed the overall value of construction permits to a 46 percent gain for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2012, county building permit records show.

Henderson County issued 461 building permits in April, raising the total since July 1 to 4,803 permits, a 20.2 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.
The value of new home construction is running 23.5 percent ahead of the last fiscal year, rising to $50.5 million from $40.9 million, while new commercial work has more than doubled in value, from $13.9 million last year to $29.4 million, a 112 percent increase. Overall, construction value for the first seven months of FY2012-13 totaled $79.9 million, up from $54.7 million, for a gain of 45.9 percent. The value in April was $4.5 million.
The value of home remodeling work fell 8.5 percent for the fiscal year, from $11 million a year ago to $10.15 million this year ($1.1 million in April). Commercial projects are running 9.6 percent ahead of 2011-12 — $15.8 million to $14.4 million a year ago ($752,000 in April).
Numbers for the calendar year showed that the overall value of new residential and commercial projects climbed from $18.9 million in 2012 to $29.2 million this year, a gain of 55 percent.
New housing starts fell this year, however, from 111 last year to 81 for the first four months of 2013, a 27 percent decline. Commercial projects were up 26.7 percent, 19 to 15.
Total permits issued are up 23.3 percent for the fiscal year and up 26.1 percent for the calendar year.
The breakdown of April permits was 18 new residential units, 55 residential remodeling projects or additions, six new commercial, 19 commercial remodeling projects or additions, 292 electrical, mechanical, plumbing, 11 mobile homes and 60 environmental health permits.
Total April inspections of 1,516, however, remain well below the highs of the boom years. In 2007, monthly inspections ranged from 2,748 to 4,526. In March of that year the county issued 242 permits for new homes. It issued 18 permits for new homes last month.