2004 slow year for construction

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Building activity in the rural parts of Larimer County increased somewhat in 2004, but not enough to make county officials optimistic.

"It's a steady flat line," said Karlin Mueller, office supervisor for the building department. "We're not going up significantly, but we're not digressing either."

And, she noted, the new year has been lackluster at best. Permit applications submitted in January were down about 50 percent from last year as of Jan. 21.

In 2004, the number of permits issued for single-family units in the unincorporated part of the county rose by 15 percent. The total number for the year was 446, compared to 387 in 2003. Total valuation of all construction in the county was $168,518,000 in 2004, up 29 percent from the previous year.

There's still a long way to go to catch up with the heyday years, however. In 2001, the number of building permits peaked at 619 for single-family dwelling units, which include detached residences, condos, cabins and manufactured homes. That boom year was followed by two years of sharp decline.

In 2004, county residents continued to build additions to their homes and do other remodeling projects. Permits issued for those types of projects totaled 518 for the year, down slightly from the 525 permits issued in 2003.

Looking at 2005, Mueller said she's not expecting a big increase in building activity. Things are picking up slightly for contractors, she said, but part of the reason may be that some builders have gone out of business.