Austin Daily Herald

Five months into the year means five months into the 2003 construction season in Austin are complete.

There were 170 new building permits issued in May by the city of Austin's public works department. That pushed the year-to-date total to 425.

Estimated total construction value of the building permits issues in May was $2,250,873 and the year-to-date estimated construction value in Austin is $8,532,463.

Both the monthly and year-to-date totals are on pace with 2002's figures.

A year ago in May, there were 131 permits issued for an estimated total construction value of $1,369,023, while the year-to-date five-month totals in 2002 were 401 building permits for an estimated $8,677,276.

When building permits are combined with zoning, the year-to-date totals are 985 permits for an estimated $10,498,437 in all construction projects underway in Austin.

Four new housing starts in May doubled the pace of single-family residences from a year ago.

The year-to-date housing starts in Austin are now at the 23 mark, which is five ahead of the 5-month total for 2002.

The four new housing permits were issued to Orchard Properties and Todd Yerhot at 1404 27th St. SW; Murphy's Creek Homes and Horizon Construction at 908 24th Ave. NW; Keystone Developers and Arro Construction at 1601 17th Ave. SW; and Gene and Sandy Waterbury and Horizon Construction at 1501 17th St. SW.

Estimated construction value for the four new homes: $424,200.

Eight new multi-family permits were issues to Austin Senior Housing at 1908 Oak Tree Lane for an estimated total construction value of $836,000.

Twenty-eight permits were issued for residential additions, alterations or repairs

for an estimated $288,116 construction value.

There were also eight permits for decks over 30 inches for an estimated total construction value of $11,500 and nine residential garages for an estimated total construction value of $123,000.

But the city was swamped with other permit requests.

Twenty-five new residential roof permits were issued, plus 33 new residential siding permits and 37 new residential window permits in May.

There were also 29 residential addition, alteration or repair permits issued in May for an estimated $116,452 in value.

Another 21 homeowners sought to beat the heat with air conditioning installations. The permits totaled 21 in May or an estimated $52,893.

Four other homeowners are putting in fireplaces for an estimated $10,004, while six others opted for new furnaces for an estimated $49,276.

The 83 new permits issued to mechanical contractors in May totaled $257,700 for the month. That amounted to a five-month total for heating and cooling mechanical contractors of 205 permits for an estimated $962,772.

Meanwhile, the city's plumbers weighed in with 72 new permits in May for an estimated $239,055.

That pushed the plumbing contractors year-to-date totals to 191 permits for an estimated $724,910.

No less than 52 fencing permits were issued in May for an estimated $41,000.