City building permits · May 2026

San Jose Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for San Jose, California 1,362 units in May 2026, 5,142 over the last 12 months — latest month +2860.9% vs. a year earlier.

1,362
Units (latest month)
44
Single-family units
1,318
Multifamily (5+) units
$226,660,199
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 5,142 units permitted · latest month +2860.9% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)443.2%
2-unit structures00.0%
3–4 unit structures00.0%
Multifamily (5+ units)1,31896.8%
All units1,362100%

San Jose building permits — FAQ

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

1,362 new residential units were authorized in San Jose in May 2026, and 5,142 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

What types of housing is San Jose permitting?+

In May 2026, 44 single-family and 1,318 units in 5+ unit buildings were permitted — 96.8% of the total was multifamily.

Why might San Jose'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.