Data collected from state and local officials on new residential construction authorized by building permits provide one of the few monthly measures of economic activity available for small geographic areas. The series, a component of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index, is also used to estimate the number of housing units started, completed, and sold, if single-family, and to select samples for the Census Bureauâs demographic surveys. Policymakers, planners, businesses, and others also use the detailed geographic data to monitor growth, plan for local services, and to develop production and marketing plans.
Report of Building or Zoning Permits Issued for New Privately-Owned Housing Units (C-404):
The total number of annual burden hours for the C-404 decreased from 17,625 in 2021 to 17,229. This is primarily due to the increase in the number of respondents that chose to send proprietary electronic files or mailed printouts instead of reporting to our questionnaire. Reporting via proprietary electronic files or mailed printouts has a lower average burden per response, resulting in a lower overall annual burden.
Survey of Residential Building or Zoning Permit Systems (C-411):
The total number of annual burden hours increased from 205 annual hours in the last submission to 787.5 annual hours.
As mentioned in Section 1. Necessity of the Information Collection above, prior to 2022, the universe of permit issuing places was updated every 10 years. In 2012 and every ten years prior, we mailed the survey to approximately 20,000 jurisdictions. In processing the 2012 survey, it was determined that it was too burdensome to the Census Bureauâs staff to process all 20,000 jurisdictions in the same year. As a result, the process was spread out into 5-year intervals, starting with the mailing in 2017. In 2017, we mailed 3,500 priority jurisdictions of the potential 20,000.
The previous burden estimate was based only on the 3,500 priority jurisdictions that we intended to collect during the 3-year clearance of that package. The current annual burden hour estimate is based on the updated collection strategy that allows us to attempt collection on all 20,000 jurisdictions approximately every seven years, on a rotating basis. This results in an increase in the annual burden estimate compared to the previous package, but results in a more consistent burden estimate over all years.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form C-411 Survey of Residential Building or Zoning Permit Systems
BPS_30daynotice_published_020924.pdf
Supporting_Statement_Part_B_C404 and C411 - Updated 1-25-2024.docx
Building Permits Survey Program