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October 14, 2026BUILDING PERMITS, AUGUST 2026 Monthly (seasonally adjusted, August 2026 vs July 2026)
Changes in monthly building permit values are typically very volatile, with large swings from one month to the next.
Nova Scotia's total building permits (residential and non-residential) increased 21.0% to $247.9 million in August. Halifax permits rose 26.0% to $140.1 million while permits outside the city increased 15.1% to $107.8 million. National permits increased 8.8% to $13.6 billion. Building permit values rose in seven provinces, with Saskatchewan recording the fastest increase and New Brunswick recording the fastest decline.
Nova Scotia's residential building permits increased 30.1% to $191.6 million in August. Halifax residential permits rose 38.2% to $108.8 million while permits outside the city increased 20.7% to $82.8 million. National residential building permit values increased 15.3% to $8.5 billion. Residential permit values rose in seven provinces, with Manitoba recording the fastest increase and New Brunswick recording the fastest decline.
Nova Scotia's non-residential building permits decreased 2.2% to $56.3 million. Halifax non-residential permits declined 3.6% to $31.3 million while permits outside the city edged down 0.3% to $25.0 million. National non-residential building permit values fell 0.6% to $5.1 billion. Non-residential permit values declined in six provinces, with New Brunswick recording the fastest decline and Alberta recording the fastest increase.
Year-to-date (January-August 2026 vs January-August 2025)
Nova Scotia's total building permits (residential and non-residential) were down 28.4% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, the fastest decline among provinces. Halifax permits declined 24.4% and permit values outside the city decreased 33.2%. National permits increased 6.5%. Building permit values increased in eight provinces with Prince Edward Island recording the fastest gain.
In the first eight months of 2026, Nova Scotia's residential building permits fell 18.1% compared with the same period in 2025, the fastest decline among provinces. Halifax residential permits decreased 21.1% while residential permit values outside the city declined 13.1%. National residential building permit values increased 2.9%. Residential permit values increased in seven provinces, with Newfoundland and Labrador recording the fastest gain.
Nova Scotia's non-residential building permits fell 45.4% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, the fastest decline among provinces. Halifax non-residential permits declined 32.6% while non-residential permits outside the city fell 54.8%. National non-residential building permit values increased 12.4%, with gains in seven provinces. Prince Edward Island reported the fastest increase in year-to-date non-residential permit values.
Across Nova Scotia, both residential and non-residential permits declined in January-August 2026 compared with January-August 2025.
Permit values for both single dwellings and multiple-unit dwellings were down across the province.
All categories of non-residential permit values were down across the province except commercial permits, which pushed up permits outside of Halifax.
Year-to-date building permit values declined the most in institutional/government and industrial projects across the province. Halifax building permit values declined across all categories, with the fastest decline in industrial projects. Outside the city, building permit values declined across all categories except commercial projects, with the fastest decline in institutional/government projects.
Trends
Overall building permit values generally trended upward from 2020 through mid-2025 before weakening over the last year. Higher residential permit values, particularly in Halifax, were the primary driver of growth. Since mid-2025, both total permit values and their six-month moving average have trended downward, although August 2026 showed a notable rebound.
Residential building permit values generally trended upward from 2020 through 2025 before softening over the last year. Despite considerable month-to-month volatility, the six-month moving average remains well above pre-2021 levels. Residential permit growth has moderated in recent months, though August 2026 recorded a strong increase.
Nova Scotia's non-residential building permit values accelerated through 2023 and 2024, reaching elevated levels during 2025 before declining through late 2025 and 2026. Recent declines have been driven primarily by lower institutional/government permits, which had previously supported growth in both Halifax and the rest of the province.
Trends in residential permit values continue to reflect differences between Halifax and the rest of the province. In Halifax, multi-unit dwelling projects have driven most of the growth in residential permit values over the last several years, while single-dwelling permits have remained comparatively stable. Outside Halifax, single-dwelling construction accounts for a larger share of residential permit activity, although multi-unit construction increased from 2021 onward. Both Halifax and the rest of Nova Scotia have experienced some softening in residential permit trends since mid-2025.
Non-residential building permits remain substantially lower than residential permits and are more volatile from month to month. Commercial permits have been relatively stable over the longer term, while industrial permit activity remains sporadic. Institutional/government permits generated much of the increase in non-residential activity through 2024 and early 2025, particularly outside Halifax, but have since fallen sharply. Despite a temporary increase in August 2026, the six-month moving averages indicate that non-residential permit activity continues to trend downward.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 34-10-0292-01 Building permits, by type of structure and type of work (x 1,000)
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