City building permits · May 2026

El Cajon Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for El Cajon, California 16 units in May 2026, 178 over the last 12 months — latest month +1500% vs. a year earlier.

16
Units (latest month)
9
Single-family units
5
Multifamily (5+) units
$4,227,928
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 178 units permitted · latest month +1500% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)956.3%
2-unit structures212.5%
3–4 unit structures00.0%
Multifamily (5+ units)531.3%
All units16100%

El Cajon building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in El Cajon, California?+

16 new residential units were authorized in El Cajon in May 2026, and 178 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

What types of housing is El Cajon permitting?+

In May 2026, 9 single-family and 5 units in 5+ unit buildings were permitted — 43.8% of the total was multifamily.

Why might El Cajon's numbers be zero some months?+

Permit activity is lumpy at the city level, and small jurisdictions may report to the Census with a lag. Zero in a month means no permits were reported, not necessarily no construction interest.