Area builders see 2nd straight bump in permit filings

Area home builders saw an 8-percent increase in buyers in September, according to the latest permit numbers from the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.

It’s the first time this year that area permit filings have risen on a year-over-year basis in back-to-back months. Filings were up 2 percent in August.

Builders filed 403 single-family construction permits in the nine-county metropolitan area in September, BAGI said Tuesday. That's up from 372 filings in September 2014 and a 4-percent rise from the previous month.

Year-to-date filings are now at 3,968 through September, down 1 percent compared with the first nine months months of 2014, when 3,935 permits were filed.

Filings were up 22 percent in Marion County, from 64 in September 2014 to 82 in September 2015. Filings are now up 12 percent in the county for the year.

Filings rose 3 percent in Hamilton County, from 127 to 131, and are up 1 percent this year.

Hendricks County saw a 54-percent increase in permits, from 46 to 71.

Permit filings dropped 6 percent in Johnson County, from 50 to 47.

Filings slipped from 23 to 19 in Hancock County, a fall of 17 percent.

Boone County saw a 58-percent drop in permits, from 38 to 16.

Fewer than 20 permits each were filed in Shelby, Madison and Morgan counties in September.