Savannah Standard

The City of Savannah issued a record number of building construction permits in 2024, with the total valuation reaching $930 million. This marks a 5.6 percent increase from the previous year and surpasses the earlier record of $909 million set in 2022.

The Development Services Department reported an unprecedented level of new residential building construction, with permits valued at $250 million. In total, 1,054 residential permits were issued last year. The previous record for new residential construction was $164 million in 2023. Between 2012 and 2023, the annual average valuation for these permits was approximately $84 million.

Commercial permits issued in 2024 totaled $371 million, which is a decrease from the prior year's total of $470 million.

City Manager Joseph A. Melder commented on the growth: "Savannah is growing. That’s clear in our day-to-day experience and clear in our data,” he said. “We think the historic growth in new residential construction is especially positive. As we move through this era of growth, our priority is to create a great quality of life for all residents and businesses now and in the future.”

In terms of specific types of residential construction permits, there were 817 single-family homes (detached), 582 multifamily/apartment units, 169 single-family homes (attached/townhomes), 20 two-family homes (duplex), 43 accessory dwelling units, and five master home plans including mobile units and modular units.

Overall, Savannah issued a total of 4,749 construction permits in 2024, surpassing last year's figure of 4,252 and marking the highest volume since records began being kept consistently in recent years.