I’m in the middle of making some significant updates to the San Antonio crash map (which will hopefully be ready by the beginning of December, but definitely for the start of 2024), but I wanted to take a quick look at some new residential construction permits issued in San Antonio.
Like many other cities throughout the country, San Antonio is experiencing housing availability shortfalls. Bexar County and San Antonio itself has seen significant population growth over the last decade. With more people moving to the area to take advantage of decent weather and a low-cost of living, finding a place to call home has become more difficult for everyone.
To build almost anything, you’ll need to get a permit in San Antonio. There’s all sorts of permits in San Antonio – Garage Sale permits, Accessory Dwelling Unit permits, Demolition Permits…the list goes on and on. There’s been over 260,000 permits issued in San Antonio from July 2020 through October 2023, of which “Mechanical”, “Electrical General” and “Plumbing General” make up a combined 32% of issued permits. New residential construction permits make up 5.5% (14,663) of all permits issued over the last 3+ years.
The data set also includes other information such as the square footage of the new construction, the City Council District, primary contact, and location. Of all new construction permits issued, the average square footage is 4,474 square feet (pretty big!) and the median square footage is 2,211 square feet (still pretty big!).
Breaking the permits down by Council District shows that districts 2, 3, 4, and 8 have seen the most number of approved permits for new residential construction. Median square footage is fairly close for all districts, though CD9 is the only district where the median area is over 3,000.
When looking at average square footage, it’s clear there’s something pretty massive being built out in District 8. Looking at the data, a company called Fulton Construction Services appears to be building a pretty large housing community out in D8. They specialize in “transforming the housing landscape with the development of their unique low-density ‘Birdsong’ cottage communities”. This D8 construction skews their average square footage value very high, but the median square footage of new construction in D8 is much more in line with the other city council districts.
Lennar Homes has received 22% of all pemits issued the last 3 years, with an average of 28 days between permit submission and approval. Perusing their website, this looks like another company that specializes in single-family homes outside of San Antonio’s center core. They’re also having a blow-out sale on some of their move-in ready homes, so if you’re looking for a home with an attached garage that’s larger than your kitchen, Lennar Homes is the way to go.
For the most part, the amount of permits issued has strong variety throughout each of the years in the data (December 2020 only had 205 permits issued). Permit issuance declines as 2021 and 2022 progresses, but permits issued so far in 2023 have remained fairly steady.
Below is a map with a sample of new residential construction permits issued over the last 3+ years. They’re generally spread throughout the city, with some new permits issued close to downtown. The majority of new permits, however, are right on the edges of Loop 410 or outside of Loop 1604.
This is indicative of San Antonio’s continued sprawling development. Larger homes are being constructed further away from the city center, which will only exacerbate San Antonio’s car-oriented nature. While these homes are likely going to be cheaper than older homes closer to downtown, this type of sprawl comes with its own costs. People will spend more time in their car, cause more congestion and pollution, and generally spend more disposable income on their transportation and housing options.
Because San Antonio lacks an efficient public transportation network, driving a car will likely be the only option available to new residents living outside of San Antonio’s loop-highway system. At least there’s some newer construction happening close to downtown, but there should be a more concerted effort to build denser housing there.
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