City building permits · May 2026

San Diego Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for San Diego, California 400 units in May 2026, 6,953 over the last 12 months — latest month -28.2% vs. a year earlier.

400
Units (latest month)
92
Single-family units
198
Multifamily (5+) units
$57,723,294
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 6,953 units permitted · latest month -28.2% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)9223.0%
2-unit structures8621.5%
3–4 unit structures246.0%
Multifamily (5+ units)19849.5%
All units400100%

San Diego building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in San Diego, California?+

400 new residential units were authorized in San Diego in May 2026, and 6,953 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

What types of housing is San Diego permitting?+

In May 2026, 92 single-family and 198 units in 5+ unit buildings were permitted — 77.0% of the total was multifamily.

Why might San Diego'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.