Miami permitted 483 new homes in August, up from 90 a year earlier. But January to August is down 32%, to 3,561 homes, as apartment permits fell by a third.
The city of Miami issued building permits for 483 new homes in August, more than five times the 90 it permitted in August 2025. Most of them were in five apartment buildings.
Even so, the city has permitted far fewer homes this year than last. From January to August, Miami permitted 3,561 new homes, down 32% from 5,234 in the same months of 2025.
The figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, which publishes a monthly count for every permit office in the country. The city of Miami reported its August numbers to the bureau online.
What was permitted in August
The Census Bureau’s August file shows 483 new homes in 30 buildings:
| Building type | Buildings | Homes | Construction value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family houses | 17 | 17 | $18,840,291 |
| Two-unit buildings | 7 | 14 | $4,730,977 |
| Three- and four-unit buildings | 1 | 4 | $1,300,876 |
| Five or more units | 5 | 448 | $359,270,153 |
| Total | 30 | 483 | $384,142,297 |
In August 2025, the city permitted 90 homes: 11 houses, 12 homes in six two-unit buildings and 67 apartments in four buildings.
The construction value 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
The bureau’s year-to-date file shows the drop is almost entirely in large apartment buildings.
| January to August | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family houses | 96 | 154 |
| Homes in two-unit buildings | 134 | 136 |
| Homes in three- and four-unit buildings | 18 | 16 |
| Homes in buildings of five or more units | 4,986 | 3,255 |
| Total homes | 5,234 | 3,561 |
Apartment permits fell by about 35%, or 1,731 homes. Single-family house permits rose by 60%, from 96 to 154, but houses are a small share of what gets built in Miami. The declared construction value of everything permitted fell from $2,044,416,856 to $1,609,211,714.
The 2025 column is from the same file a year earlier.
Month by month
Apartment towers make Miami’s monthly count lumpy. One large building can double a month’s total, so a single month says little on its own.
| Month in 2026 | Homes permitted |
|---|---|
| January | 590 |
| February | 183 |
| March | 540 |
| April | 152 |
| May | 97 |
| June | 69 |
| July | 998 |
| August | 483 |
These are the counts in each month’s file when it was first published. They add up to 3,112. The year-to-date file shows 3,561 because it includes late reports and corrections the city sent after each month closed. The Census Bureau revises all of these figures again in its annual file.
What it means for you
A permit is permission to build, not a building. The figures count homes the city has approved for construction, not homes started or finished, and a large tower can take years to complete.
Fewer apartment permits this year means fewer new units in the pipeline than at the same point in 2025. For what homes and rents cost now, see our home prices page. For how to check a project near you, see our guide to building permits and zoning.
We will update this story when the bureau publishes September’s figures.
Have your say