Building permits, September 2025
Released: 2025-11-12
$11.7 billion
September 2025
4.5% 
(monthly change)
$0.1 billion
September 2025
43.1%
(monthly change)
$0.1 billion
September 2025
-3.3% 
(monthly change)
$0.3 billion
September 2025
15.8%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
September 2025
16.1%
(monthly change)
$2.5 billion
September 2025
5.0%
(monthly change)
$4.0 billion
September 2025
2.8%
(monthly change)
$0.4 billion
September 2025
-4.4%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
September 2025
13.0%
(monthly change)
$1.7 billion
September 2025
16.2%
(monthly change)
$2.1 billion
September 2025
-5.6%
(monthly change)
In September, the total value of building permits issued in Canada increased $504.8 million (+4.5%) to $11.7 billion. Both the residential (+4.8%) and the non-residential (+4.0%) sectors contributed to the increase.
On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), the total value of building permits issued in September rose 4.2% from the previous month.
Chart 1
Total value of building permits, seasonally adjusted
Infographic 1
Building permits, September 2025
Multi-family and single-family components contribute to residential sector growth
Residential construction intentions grew $335.3 million to $7.3 billion in September. The multi-family component (+$252.2 million) and the single-family component (+$83.1 million) contributed to the growth.
Alberta (+$219.9 million) and Quebec (+$146.7 million) drove the increase in the multi-family component in September, while British Columbia (-$186.3 million) tempered the rise.
The increase in the single-family component in September was driven by Ontario (+$114.0 million), while decreases in five provinces and two territories moderated the gains.
Chart 2
Number of units authorized for the residential sector and for the single-family and multi-family components
Chart 3
Value of building permits for the residential and non-residential sectors
Chart 4
Value of building permits for the single-family and multi-family components
Chart 5
Value of building permits for the industrial, commercial and institutional components
Commercial and industrial components lead increase in non-residential sector
In September, the value of non-residential building permits increased $169.6 million to $4.4 billion. Gains recorded in the commercial (+$205.4 million) and the industrial (+$104.8 million) components were partially offset by a decrease in the institutional component (-$140.6 million).
The rise in the commercial component in September was primarily attributable to Alberta (+$109.9 million), while the increase in the industrial component was led by Quebec (+$67.1 million).
Meanwhile, the decline in the institutional component in September was driven by Alberta (-$75.6 million) and Quebec (-$75.5 million) and supported by Manitoba (-$41.9 million) and Ontario (-$39.0 million). The decrease was tempered by gains observed in four provinces and three territories.
Ontario's non-residential sector drives quarterly decline
The total value of building permits in the third quarter was down $2.0 billion (-5.4%) to $34.6 billion, a second consecutive quarterly decline. Ontario's non-residential sector (-$2.5 billion) drove the decrease, after tempering the decline in the second quarter.
Non-residential construction intentions declined $1.8 billion (-11.8%) to $13.2 billion in the third quarter. Ontario's non-residential sector drove the decline, led by the province's institutional component (-$1.7 billion), which retreated after driving the non-residential sector to a series high in the second quarter.
The sharp decline in Ontario led the national institutional component to decrease $1.5 billion in the third quarter.
The industrial component decreased $504.7 million in the third quarter, led by Ontario (-$617.2 million), while Quebec (+$132.9 million) partially offset the decline.
Commercial construction intentions increased $236.8 million, driven by British Columbia (+$442.4 million), supported by notable contributions from hotels and indoor recreational facilities. Ontario (-$219.1 million) moderated the growth.
After a strong first quarter, the value of residential sector building permits continued its decline, falling $213.5 million (-1.0%) to $21.4 billion in the third quarter. This was its lowest level (in constant dollars) since the series started in 2018.
The multi-unit component declined $187.5 million in the third quarter. Quebec, particularly the Montréal census metropolitan area (CMA) (-$568.0 million), drove the decrease, followed by Alberta (-$169.6 million) and Nova Scotia (-$127.2 million). These decreases were mitigated by Ontario (+$357.3 million) and British Columbia (+$174.0 million), led by the Toronto CMA (+$505.1 million) and the Vancouver CMA (+$304.2 million). Both CMAs ticked up after experiencing significant declines in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, single-family construction intentions edged down $26.0 million, driven by Alberta (-$122.7 million) and Ontario (-$45.8 million), while five provinces and one territory tempered the decrease.
A total of 231,100 single-family and multi-family units in unadjusted terms were authorized for construction since the start of 2025, surpassing the 215,200 units authorized over the same period one year earlier.
To explore data using an interactive user interface, visit the Building permits: Interactive Dashboard.
For more information on construction, please visit the Construction statistics portal.
For more information on housing, please visit the Housing statistics portal.
Note to readers
This Daily release was created with the assistance of a generative artificial intelligence tool, using data and analysis prepared by Statistics Canada analysts. The final content was verified by subject-matter experts.
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data with current dollar values, which facilitate month-to-month and quarter-to-quarter comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. For information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
For information on trend-cycle data, see the page Trend-cycle estimates – Frequently asked questions.
Data may not add up to totals as a result of rounding.
Building components
- Single-family dwellings: Residential buildings containing only one dwelling unit (e.g., single-detached house, bungalow, linked home [linked at the foundation]).
- Multi-family dwellings: Residential buildings containing multiple dwelling units (e.g., apartment, apartment condominium, row house, semi-detached house).
- Industrial buildings: Buildings used in the processing or production of goods or related to transportation and communication.
- Commercial buildings: Buildings used in the trade or distribution of goods and services, including office buildings.
- Institutional and government buildings: Buildings used to house public and semi-public services, such as those related to health and welfare, education or public administration, and buildings used for religious services.
Revision
Data are subject to revisions based on late responses, methodological changes and classification updates. Unadjusted data in current dollars have been revised for the previous month; unadjusted data in constant dollars have been revised for the previous two months. Seasonally adjusted data in current dollars have been revised for the previous two months; seasonally adjusted data in constant dollars have been revised for the previous three months.
Next release
Data on building permits for October will be released on December 12.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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