With the rapid relocation trends of families moving to Texas, it was reported that new residential construction permits in Texas grew to a total value in excess of $2 billion and over 7,500 new construction permits in September 2022 alone. D.R. Horton lead the way with 1,139 new permits, while Lennar Homes clocked 696 new permits. Other leading homebuilders including KB Homes (239 permits) and Pulte Homes (253 permits) remained active heading into the 4th Quarter of 2022. The following is a breakdown of new permits and average home values in the 4 largest cities in Texas (Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio) for September 2022:
Houston
Last month, there were approximately 340 home builders with new permits on record in the Houston area, and the following ranked as the top five total new permits:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| 1-D.R. Horton | 483 | $ 129,812.00 |
| 2-Camillo Properties | 190 | $ 147,790.00 |
| 3-Lennar Homes | 188 | $ 195,503.00 |
| 4-Meritage Homes | 124 | $ 248,597.00 |
| 5-Wan Pacific Real Estate Development | 117 | $ 165,044.00 |
Dallas
In Dallas, there were more than 290 contractors with new residential construction activity on record with HBW last month, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| 1-D.R. Horton | 555 | $ 179,430.00 |
| 2-Lennar Homes | 232 | $ 202,318.00 |
| 3-Trophy Signature Homes | 111 | $ 274,016.00 |
| 4-Bloomfield Homes | 97 | $ 405,235.00 |
| 5-Meritage Homes | 92 | $ 267,425.00 |
Austin
Last month, there were nearly 125 home builders with new construction activity on record in the Austin area, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits for the one-month period:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| 1-Lennar Homes | 150 | $ 154,390.00 |
| 2-KB Homes | 147 | $ 253,606.00 |
| 3-D.R. Horton | 99 | $ 200,416.00 |
| 4-Taylor Morrison Homes | 79 | $ 365,183.00 |
| 5-David Weekley Homes | 64 | $ 436,978.00 |
San Antonio
In San Antonio, there were nearly 120 contractors with new residential construction activity on record last month, and the following ranked as the top five for total new permits:
| Builder | Total Permits | Average Value |
| 1-Lennar Homes | 126 | $ 174,315.00 |
| 2-KB Homes | 55 | $ 254,109.00 |
| 3-Pulte Homes | 52 | $ 241,012.00 |
| 4-M/I Homes | 51 | $ 237,283.00 |
| 5-LGI Homes | 30 | $ 202,760.00 |
The residential construction boom is Texas does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. With new corporations relocating corporate offices to the Lone Star State each year, we expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future. And with increased home production, we will closely monitor the increase in construction related litigation over the next five to ten years.
The increase in market activity attracts new or inexperienced builders and tradesman, making the importance of a proactive approach to construction management all the more important. Given the labor shortages and supply chain issues. It is imperative that Texas homebuilders take extra precautions to ensure quality construction practices and oversight to minimize potential litigation.
