Uptick In New Home Construction

Jeff Green | Jul 14, 2021

Building statistics released this week in both Central and South Frontenac suggest that any slowdown in home construction due to COVID was very short lived and has not been a factor for over a year.

This past June, 7 permits for new homes construction were issued by the Central Frontenac Building department. Only 1 was issued in June of 2020, part of a COVID slowdown. However in 2020 as a whole, 21 new home permits were issued in the township, which was an increase from 16 in 2019, and 14 for the entirety of 2018. There have been 12 new home permits issued so far this year, as compared to 8 in the first half of 2020 and only 4 in the first six months of 2019.

The total value of construction, in the township so far in 2021 is just under $14 million, up $3 million from last year, and $4 million from 2019.

In South Frontenac, detailed building permit information is released on a quarterly basis. The second quarter of 2020 was impacted by COVID, and the value of permits for single family dwellings dipped to $6.9 million, down from $11.7 million in 2019. This year, permits for $12 million were issued, including permits for 30 new homes. Permits for 39 new homes were issued in the Q2 of 2019.

When looking at the year to date, construction values are up over 2019, the strongest year in the last 4, by over $1.5 million, and a $30 million year is very much a possibility. The total for 2019 was $25.5 million.

The building department report for South Frontenac now includes information about sewage (septic) permits. The township has taken over the job of overseeing the installation of new septic systems after Kingston Frontenac Public Health pulled away from offering the service in order to comply with a provincial directive.

South Frontenac provides the service for its own residents, and those in the other three Frontenac townships. 168 new sewage system permits have been issued in 2021, including 66 in South Frontenac and 48 in Central Frontenac.

The total revenue for services provided by the township under part 8 of the Ontario Building, which includes sewage permits issued and other services, including comments on planning proposals, was over $282,000.