Newsletter · sample issue · real data · August 2026
Building trends in the Sacramento area: August 2026
Once a month, subscribers get a short read on what's being built in their county: how much new construction vs remodels vs repairs, which trades are busiest, typical job sizes, where the work is, and what materials cost. It's trends only. No addresses or single jobs, those come in the morning emails.
This sample covers the City of Sacramento, Elk Grove and unincorporated Sacramento County, compared with July 2026 and August 2025. Where we don't hold enough history for a fair comparison, it says so instead of showing a number.
5,010 building permits issued in the Sacramento area in August 2026, up 23% from August 2025 (4,075).
5,010 permits issued, August 2026 | up 23% vs August 2025 | up 8% year to date vs last year |
Month before (July 2026): 5,196 permits, down 4%. Year to date: 36,115 vs 33,416.
New construction vs remodels vs repairs
| Project type | August 2026 | Share | August 2025 | Change |
| New construction (homes and ADUs) | 97 | 2% | 89 | up 9% |
| Remodels and additions | 840 | 17% | 770 | up 9% |
| Repairs, replacements and upgrades | 3,549 | 71% | 2,742 | up 29% |
| Other (demolition, signs, misc.) | 524 | 10% | 474 | up 11% |
Each permit counted once, by its biggest kind of work: new homes/ADUs first, then remodels/additions, then repairs and replacements (roof, HVAC, water heater, electrical, solar, windows...).
Typical job size (declared value)
| Median Aug | Average | Median August 2025 | Average | |
| New construction (homes and ADUs) | $128,106 | $232,800 | $99,214 | $154,509 |
| Remodels and additions | $30,791 | $228,014 | $27,024 | $198,280 |
| Repairs, replacements and upgrades | $13,500 | $23,276 | $12,000 | $23,655 |
Values are shown side by side, not as a % change: a few large jobs can move them a lot.
Busiest trades
| Trade | August 2026 | August 2025 | Change |
| Electrical, panel & EV charger | 1,913 | 1,527 | up 25% |
| HVAC & heat pump | 1,892 | 1,466 | up 29% |
| Plumbing & water heater | 1,625 | 1,263 | up 29% |
| Roofing & gutters | 867 | 836 | up 4% |
| Solar & battery | 744 | 476 | up 56% |
| Remodels & additions (GC) | 539 | 476 | up 13% |
| Garages & accessory buildings | 501 | 421 | up 19% |
| Windows, doors & skylights | 314 | 340 | down 8% |
Where the work is (city / area level)
- City of Sacramento: 1,974
- Other unincorporated county areas: 1,288
- Elk Grove: 528
- Carmichael (unincorporated): 304
- Fair Oaks (unincorporated): 266
- Antelope (unincorporated): 172
Seasonal pattern: permits issued per month
| Aug 25 | 4,075 | |
| Sep 25 | 4,153 | |
| Oct 25 | 4,446 | |
| Nov 25 | 3,382 | |
| Dec 25 | 4,343 | |
| Jan 26 | 3,947 | |
| Feb 26 | 3,503 | |
| Mar 26 | 4,046 | |
| Apr 26 | 4,500 | |
| May 26 | 4,722 | |
| Jun 26 | 5,191 | |
| Jul 26 | 5,196 | |
| Aug 26 | 5,010 |
Busiest weeks: Aug 3–Aug 9 (1,296), Aug 10–Aug 16 (1,269)
By weekday: Mon 23% · Tue 21% · Wed 19% · Thu 19% · Fri 17% · Sat 1% · Sun 1%
Cost of supplies: U.S. producer prices
| Material (BLS index) | Latest month | Index | A year earlier | 12-month change |
| Construction materials (all) WPUSI012011 | September 2026 (P) | 378.6 | 341.0 | up 11.0% |
| Lumber WPU081 | September 2026 (P) | 282.3 | 259.8 | up 8.7% |
| Steel mill products WPU1017 | September 2026 (P) | 388.6 | 304.6 | up 27.6% |
| Copper and brass mill shapes WPU102502 | September 2026 (P) | 835.3 | 642.7 | up 30.0% |
| Concrete block and brick WPU1331 | September 2026 (P) | 409.7 | 395.6 | up 3.6% |
| Gypsum products (drywall) WPU137 | September 2026 (P) | 488.9 | 482.1 | up 1.4% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Producer Price Index by commodity (not seasonally adjusted), pulled 2026-10-25. These are national producer price indexes (what mills and makers charge), not Bay Area or Sacramento store prices. (P) = preliminary; BLS revises recent months for up to four months.
Period: August 2026 (2026-08-01 to 2026-08-31), by permit issue date. Source: City of Sacramento open data (building permits issued), County of Sacramento public GIS permit records (unincorporated county) and City of Elk Grove public GIS permit records. Other cities in Sacramento County (Folsom, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and others) aren't included. Permits the County stamped on Mar 15 2025 as a records batch (mostly filed 2020-2024) are left out of the 2025 numbers. Counts are permits issued; one permit can cover several trades. Job values are as declared on the permit.
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