Permits issued in Northeast Florida for single-family home construction rose steadily from January through March 2026 but lagged behind the first-quarter numbers of 2025, according to data released by the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
NEFBA reported 2,004 permits were issued through the first quarter of 2026, comprising 601 permits in January, 676 in February and 727 in March. The data is from Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
The February and March totals from 2026 were higher than during those same months in 2025, when NEFBA reported 655 in February and 687 in March of that year. But permitting in January 2026 was off on a year-over-year basis, down from 930 in January 2025.
The drop-off in January helped contribute to a year-over-year decrease on a quarterly basis. NEFBA reported 2,272 permits during the first three months of 2025.
In March 2026, Clay had 103 permits, Duval 308, Nassau 63 and St. Johns 253. Through the first three months of 2026, Clay had 233 permits, Duval 875, Nassau 191 and St. Johns 705.
