1. NAHB, October 16: single-family permits down 2.6% through August
From January through August 2026, 620,558 single-family permits were issued nationwide, NAHB reported from Census Bureau state data, down 2.6% from 637,096 in the same months of 2025. Multifamily permits rose 5.1% to 347,629.
By region, single-family fell 9.4% in the Northeast, 5.2% in the West and 2.0% in the South; the Midwest was the only region up, by 2.0%. Twenty-seven states declined. Nevada fell the most, 26.3%. In the largest markets, Texas was down 3.4%, Florida 1.3% and North Carolina 7.5%.
Why a small contractor should care: a permit is the work that comes next for framers, roofers, electricians and plumbers on new homes. Our reading, not NAHB's: where new-home work shrinks, crews that live on it start bidding remodels and repairs, so in those states expect more competing quotes on the same job.
2. OSHA, release dated October 13: one excavation, a general contractor and five subs cited
OSHA proposed $648,094 in penalties against six employers at one commercial site in Monroe, New York: 5 willful and 23 serious citations. The excavation was 21 to 75 feet deep with an unstable bank nearly 75 feet high, not sloped or shored, with no daily inspection by a competent person and no design by a registered engineer. The general contractor's share was $175,444; the five subcontractors got between $19,151 and $198,615 each. The inspection started from a complaint. The employers have 15 business days to comply, ask for an informal conference or contest.
Why it matters even on a small job: the subs were cited for their own workers' exposure, not only the general contractor. If your crew works in or next to someone else's trench or on someone else's scaffold, "it is not my trench" does not protect your company.
What to do this week
- 01If you work in the Northeast, the West, Nevada or North Carolina, answer new leads the same day and follow up on every estimate without a reply. When more crews bid, the first clear answer often wins.
- 02Ask your past clients for the next job and a review now, before the slow months; a referral does not go out to bid the way an ad lead does.
- 03Before your crew goes into any excavation or onto shared scaffolding, ask who the competent person is and look at the protection yourself. If it is missing, keep your people out and write it down with a photo.
- 04Penalty and safety rules differ by state plan; check with your state OSHA office or your insurance carrier's safety rep.
Where WorkTime CRM helps with this
- Every new lead from your website, Google or Facebook gets your first message right away, written once in Settings → Phone → Client messages.
- The Pipeline shows each lead and estimate waiting for an answer with the date of the last touch, and a ⚡ mark on a client who opened the estimate and did not sign for two days, so you know whom to text today.