Single-family residential building permits increased by 730 in 2024 over 2023, according to data provided by the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
The data measures single-famly housing permits issued in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.
In 2024, 12,551 permits were issued, an increase of 6.17% from the 11,821 permits issued in the Jacksonville area in 2023.
The county breakdown for 2024 vs. 2023 showed: Duval with 5,045, up 20.3% from 4,193; Clay with 1,747, up 32.7% from 1,316; Nassau with 833, down 26.8% from 1,139; and St. Johns with 4,929, down 4.7% from 5,173
Jessie Spradley, NEFBA executive officer, said the drop in St. Johns County could be due to the difficulty of finding buildable lots.
He cites the trend of zoning denials by the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners.
“They’re denying everything,” he said. “Hence, that is a lot of the issue. Builders are struggling to find lots in St Johns County.”
As the First Coast Expressway nears completion, Spradley expects it will increase growth opportunities in Clay County.
Predictions are difficult because of uncertainty in Washington, D.C.
“One thing that builders are worried about in 2025 is how are tariffs going to affect our supply and the cost of building materials?” he said.
“The lesson learned from COVID is how those dramatic swings in pricing of materials can affect the cost of housing.”
But there is room for optimism.
“I think builders are hopeful that the deregulated environment should overcome whatever tariffs are going to be put in place. But again, a lot of this is to be seen,” Spradley said.