Building permits, February 2026
Released: 2026-04-13
$12.1 billion
February 2026
-8.4% 
(monthly change)
$0.0 billion
February 2026
-53.1%
(monthly change)
$0.0 billion
February 2026
30.9% 
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
February 2026
-50.6%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
February 2026
18.3%
(monthly change)
$2.4 billion
February 2026
-16.3%
(monthly change)
$4.6 billion
February 2026
-15.1%
(monthly change)
$0.4 billion
February 2026
30.6%
(monthly change)
$0.3 billion
February 2026
-0.5%
(monthly change)
$1.6 billion
February 2026
-14.8%
(monthly change)
$2.2 billion
February 2026
29.3%
(monthly change)
In February, the total value of building permits issued in Canada decreased by $1.1 billion (-8.4%) to reach $12.1 billion. The decline in construction intentions was led by the non-residential sector (-$1.3 billion) and tempered by the residential sector (+$135.6 million).
On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), the total value of building permits issued in February decreased 8.6% from the previous month and was down 11.5% on a year-over-year basis.
Chart 1
Total value of building permits, seasonally adjusted
Infographic 1
Building permits, February 2026
Non-residential sector declines in all components
The value of non-residential building permits fell 24.0% (-$1.3 billion to $4.0 billion) in February, the steepest decline since April 2023. The institutional component (-$987.2 million to $929.1 million) accounted for most of the decline in February 2026, while the commercial (-$160.0 million to $2.0 billion) and industrial (-$104.7 million to $985.1 million) components contributed to a lesser extent.
In February, the reduction in institutional construction intentions was primarily attributable to Ontario (-$827.1 million) and supported by Alberta (-$146.5 million) and Quebec (-$88.8 million). Concurrently, the commercial component marked its fourth consecutive decline, led by Ontario (-$106.6 million), as well as notable decreases recorded in Nova Scotia (-$51.9 million) and Alberta (-$40.0 million).
After leading growth in the industrial component in January, Quebec (-$186.4 million) drove the decrease in February, while British Columbia (+$283.3 million) helped moderate declines. The gain in British Columbia was concentrated in the Vancouver census metropolitan area (+$183.9 million), where the approval of a new wastewater treatment plant helped support growth in the province.
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
Multi-unit component leads residential increase
Residential construction intentions rose $135.6 million to $8.1 billion in February. The increase in the multi-unit component (+$180.3 million to $5.4 billion) was partially offset by a decline in the single-family component (-$44.7 million to $2.7 billion).
The rise in the multi-unit component in February was driven by Ontario (+$320.6 million) and was supported by British Columbia (+$217.6 million). Declines in Quebec (-$188.1 million), Nova Scotia (-$112.3 million) and Alberta (-$95.2 million) moderated the gain.
British Columbia (-$52.8 million) led the decrease in the single-family component in February, and an additional decline was recorded in Ontario (-$28.4 million). Meanwhile, Alberta (+$28.9 million) tempered these losses.
Nationwide, a total of 21,000 multi-unit dwellings and 3,900 single-family dwellings were authorized for construction in February, representing a 0.8% decrease from the previous month. From March 2025 to February 2026, the total number of multi-family dwellings authorized was 255,500, up from 244,600 during the previous 12-month period.
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 content was created with the assistance of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool and refined and verified by Statistics Canada experts. To learn more about how we use AI responsibly, please visit the Trust Centre.
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 March will be released on May 19. With that release, data for January 2025 through December 2025 will also be revised.
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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