Forbes says Houston No. 3 for construction activity

HOUSTON – Houston took the No. 3 spot on Forbes’ recent list of the metropolitan areas with the most new construction. The list, compiled with data from McGraw Hill Construction, is ranked by the dollar volume of new total building construction starts between January and May 2013. Houston’s totaled $4.8 million, up 8 percent from the same period a year ago.

Additionally, Houston’s full-year 2012 total was $11.1 billion, up 23 percent from 2011.

Total building includes single-family homes, multifamily, office space, retail space, warehouses, health care facilities, educational buildings, manufacturing plants and research facilities, but it excludes public works projects and electric utility construction.

Houston came in just behind another Texas metro: Dallas, which recorded $5.2 billion in construction starts for the first five months of the year, a 21 percent year-over-year jump. Dallas also saw $11.1 billion worth of construction starts last year, up 22 percent from 2011.

Austin also made the list, ranking No. 15 with $1.8 billion.