Canada's Building Permits Rise More Than Expected in August Thanks to Residential Sector

08:53 AM EDT, 10/14/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The value of Canadian building permits rose by CA$1.1 billion, or 8.8% on the month, to CA$13.6 billion in August, led by stronger residential construction plans, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday. August's rise was higher than a 3.0% monthly consensus gain from a Bloomberg survey. On a constant dollar basis, building permits rose 8.6% from the previous month and 12.4% year over year, StatsCan said. Residential building permits rose by CA$1.1 billion to CA$8.5 billion, supported solely by multi-unit construction, which reached CA$5.8 billion, while single-family permits edged down to CA$2.6 billion, added StatsCan. Non-residential permits fell by CA$29.8 million to CA$5.1 billion, with weaker commercial activity largely offset by increases in industrial and institutional projects. The building permits data refers to the value of permits issued for residential (single-family and multi-family dwellings) and non-residential (industrial, commercial and institutional) construction. It is calculated from a survey of municipalities that issue permits and is seasonally adjusted as the construction industry is sensitive to seasonal changes. It is a leading indicator of Canada's construction industry.