Key takeaways
- A permit authorizes construction under survey definitions.
- A start marks a later physical construction stage.
- Completion is not the same as lease-up or occupancy.
Source record
3 cited sources
Last verified
2026-08-08
Table of Contents
Quick Overview
Construction pipeline research is clearer when permits, starts, units under construction, and completions are stored as separate fields. The Census program publishes these stages for new privately owned housing, but the stages do not answer whether a rental is open, leased, or stabilized.
Build a stage register
Record the completions data with the project address, structure type, unit count, source date, and local status. Never replace an earlier stage with a later label without retaining the original observation.
Common Mistakes
Do not call a permit a delivered unit. Do not use a building count as a unit count, and do not equate completion with certificate of occupancy across jurisdictions.
Method and limits
The Census Survey of Construction overview describes the coverage and collection process. National and regional estimates require local project verification for acquisition work.
Common Questions Answered
Does completion mean a unit is available?
No. It can be sold, preleased, owner occupied, phased, or awaiting local processes.
Why retain source dates?
Release vintages and project schedules change. A dated record lets a reviewer distinguish revision from new activity.
Ready to improve pipeline controls?
Use investment analysis to keep stage and availability assumptions visible.
Sources
- Census Survey of Construction overview, accessed August 8, 2026.
- Census New Residential Construction, accessed August 8, 2026.