By the numbers
The number of building permits issued for new single-family homes in Wisconsin remains well below pre-Great Recession levels, data from the Wisconsin Builders Association show.
In 2024, a total of 12,837 homes were permitted, up slightly from around 11,700 permitted in 2023.
Over the past five years, Wisconsin has permitted an average of 11,964 single-family homes per year. That is less than half the pre-recession average of 25,100.
Permitting reached its peak in 2003 when 30,333 new houses were approved. Following the recession, the number of permits fell to its lowest point in 2011, when only 5,362 homes were permitted.
While complete data for 2025 are not yet available, permits are up only 0.5 percent through June 2025 over the same period in 2024.
