Metro building permits · May 2026

Charleston-North Charleston SC Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for the Charleston-North Charleston SC metropolitan area — 684 units in May 2026, 7,239 over the last 12 months — latest month -8.7% vs. a year earlier. #43 nationally.

684
Units (latest month)
517
Single-family units
157
Multifamily (5+) units
$213,550,000
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 7,239 units permitted · latest month -8.7% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)51775.6%
2-unit structures20.3%
3–4 unit structures81.2%
Multifamily (5+ units)15723.0%
All units684100%

Charleston-North Charleston SC building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in the Charleston-North Charleston SC metro area?+

684 new residential units were authorized in May 2026, and 7,239 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

Where does Charleston-North Charleston SC rank nationally?+

Charleston-North Charleston SC ranks #43 of 922 U.S. metro/micro areas by units permitted over the last 12 months.

What share is multifamily?+

24.4% of the metro's May 2026 permitted units were in multifamily (2+ unit) buildings.