Canada’s building permits rose 8.8% month-on-month to C$13.6 billion in August 2026, rebounding from a revised 15.8% decline in July and surpassing market expectations for a 2.6% gain. The recovery was driven primarily by the residential sector, where permit values increased by C$1.1 billion to C$8.5 billion.
Within residential construction, the multi-unit segment led the advance, with values climbing C$1.1 billion to C$5.8 billion. In contrast, the single-family segment was essentially flat, edging down by C$0.7 million to C$2.6 billion.
Non-residential building permits slipped by C$29.8 million to C$5.1 billion. A C$380.0 million drop in the commercial component, to C$2.2 billion, was largely offset by a C$317.3 million increase in the industrial component, to C$1.1 billion, and a C$32.9 million rise in the institutional component, to C$1.8 billion.
On a year-on-year basis, total building permits were up 12.4%.
