The Census Bureau's annual Building Permits Survey estimates permitted housing units and construction value. Across Western Massachusetts, the estimated construction value per permitted unit was $34,410 in 1980 and $304,281 in 2025, in nominal dollars.
These totals include Census imputation for missing reports and valuations. They cannot be described as values declared by every applicant. The annual estimate describes authorized construction across the region; it does not price a particular house or provide a minimum budget for a building project.
Estimated Construction Value per Permitted Housing Unit
$304,2812025, all structure types; includes Census imputation. Hover or use arrow keys to read a year.
Read the mix and the dollars
The line divides estimated construction value by permitted units, including single-family houses and apartments. A large multifamily project changes that mix and can move the average even when the cost of a comparable house is unchanged. The figures are not adjusted for inflation. Neither the line's level nor its growth isolates changes in building costs.
The chart includes years with at least 100 permitted units. The annual series estimates822 units across the region in 2025. Permission to build is not a construction start or a completed home.
For a particular project
Use a project-specific scope and quotes to budget construction, land, site preparation, utilities and professional fees. Water and septic and the parcel's constraintsdepend on the site. The regional permit average cannot establish that building is cheaper or more expensive than buying an existing house in a particular town.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Annual estimated permitted units and construction value, including imputation, 1980 to 2025.
"Figures through" is the period the publisher's data describes; "checked" is only when we last asked. The full sourcing: sources and method.