A lift in new dwelling completion numbers suggests Auckland's building industry may be on the road to recovery after its recent slump

The number of new homes being completed in Auckland increased steadily over the first three months of 2026, suggesting the city's residential building industry may be starting to turn.

The number of Code Compliance Certificates (CCCs) issued for new dwellings by Auckland Council increased from 812 in December last year to 853 in January, 1029 in February and 1327 in March.

CCCs are issued when a building is completed and so are the best indication of new housing supply, unlike building consents which are issued before construction starts and are an indication of potential future supply.

On average it takes around two years for a residential building to be completed from the time it is issued with a building consent.

The 1327 CCCs issued in March were up 5.7% compared to March last year, while the 1029 issued in February were up 14.5% compared to February last year.

While those are an encouraging sign that residential construction activity in Auckland is starting to pick up again, there is still a long way to go before the numbers get back to the peak they hit in late 2023, when more than 1900 new homes a month were being completed.

In the 12 months to the end of March this year, 14,205 new dwellings received a CCC in Auckland, down 13.0% compared to the 12 months to March 2025 and down 24.8% compared to the 12 months to March 2024.

So even with the latest improvements, Auckland's residential building industry still has a considerable way to go to get back to its previous highs.

The graph below shows the monthly trend in CCCs issued for new dwellings over the last two years.