Metro building permits · May 2026

Knoxville TN Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for the Knoxville TN metropolitan area — 482 units in May 2026, 7,812 over the last 12 months — latest month -9.2% vs. a year earlier. #41 nationally.

482
Units (latest month)
429
Single-family units
39
Multifamily (5+) units
$141,651,000
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 7,812 units permitted · latest month -9.2% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)42989.0%
2-unit structures20.4%
3–4 unit structures122.5%
Multifamily (5+ units)398.1%
All units482100%

Knoxville TN building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in the Knoxville TN metro area?+

482 new residential units were authorized in May 2026, and 7,812 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

Where does Knoxville TN rank nationally?+

Knoxville TN ranks #41 of 922 U.S. metro/micro areas by units permitted over the last 12 months.

What share is multifamily?+

11.0% of the metro's May 2026 permitted units were in multifamily (2+ unit) buildings.