CLIPBOARD : Home Permit Values

The value of home-building permits issued in January marked a five-year monthly low, corresponding to a decline in the number of permits issued for new building. These permit valuations include additions and alterations to existing homes. The $40.9 million for January continued a trend in which the total has dropped for each of the last four months.

The previous low, $50.1 million, took place in December, 1990. The January mark was 18% thinner.

Irvine, Yorba Linda and La Palma all had dips near 100% in the value of permits issued for home building, leading the 18 cities (and unincorporated areas) that had totals lower than those recorded the previous January. However, nine cities had larger totals contrasted with the previous year--some of them spectacularly so. For example, the Villa Park total jumped nearly 1,000%, while both Stanton and Mission Viejo increased almost 500%.

Here’s how the cities stack up, listed from the largest decrease to the largest increase in permits issued:

January January 1990-’91 City 1990 1991 % Change Irvine $12,482 $279 -98 Yorba Linda 17,613 551 -97 La Palma 336 12 -96 San Juan Capistrano 4,500 476 -89 Orange 6,459 1,107 -83 Unincorporated areas 47,249 9,775 -79 Buena Park 2,309 551 -76 Laguna Beach 3,812 1,048 -73 San Clemente 13,064 3,633 -72 Santa Ana 5,100 1,501 -71 Huntington Beach 4,027 1,312 -67 Garden Grove 2,346 982 -58 Dana Point * 4,159 2,022 -51 Westminster 1,101 625 -43 Fullerton 922 715 -22 Newport Beach 4,859 3,799 -22 Brea 124 110 -11 La Habra 270 239 -11 Anaheim 4,018 3,721 -7 Tustin 835 922 +10 Costa Mesa 1,499 1,733 +16 Cypress 183 253 +38 Los Alamitos 33 55 +67 Fountain Valley 209 357 +71 Placentia 95 193 +103 Mission Viejo 273 1,530 +460 Stanton 4 23 +475 Villa Park 45 486 +980 Seal Beach 638 * -- Laguna Niguel ** N/A 2,326 -- COUNTY TOTAL $138,564 $40,932 -70

* No information available; estimates used to arrive at county total. ** New city for 1990 tabulations; 1990 data before July is included in “unincorporated areas” total.

Source: Construction Industry Research Board