Sandy Springs authorized 383 housing units in September, 379 of them in two large buildings, Census data shows. That puts 2026 at 776 units, up from 468 a year ago.
Sandy Springs authorized 383 new housing units in September, the most in any month this year. Nearly all of them, 379 units, are in two buildings with five or more units each.
The figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, which the bureau publishes monthly from reports by local permit offices. The other four units in September were single-family homes.
The permits carry a combined construction value of $67,188,638. The two large buildings account for $65,942,940 of that.
The Census file does not name the projects or say whether the units are apartments or condominiums. It counts permits issued, not homes started.
The busiest stretch in years
September follows another big month. In February the city authorized 341 units in a single large building, with a construction value of $58,731,453.
Together, those three buildings put Sandy Springs at 776 units authorized from January through September. That compares with 468 in the same months of 2025, the bureau’s year-to-date files show.
- January to September 2026: 776 units, 720 of them in buildings of five or more units
- January to September 2025: 468 units, 413 of them in buildings of five or more units
Single-family permits stay low. The city authorized 56 single-family homes in the first nine months of 2026, 42 of them in May.
A rebound after years of almost nothing
Larger buildings nearly disappeared from Sandy Springs’ permit figures for several years. The bureau’s annual files show units authorized in buildings of five or more units:
| Year | Units in buildings of 5+ units | All units |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 69 | 550 |
| 2019 | 0 | 201 |
| 2020 | 14 | 152 |
| 2021 | 43 | 305 |
| 2022 | 0 | 123 |
| 2023 | 0 | 78 |
| 2024 | 286 | 348 |
| 2025 | 1,116 | 1,187 |
| 2026, January to September | 720 | 776 |
The city’s own 2026 housing needs assessment offered one reason for the gap. It said a 2016 building code change effectively banned wood-frame apartment buildings taller than three stories, and that the city removed the rule in late 2023. Our story on the housing needs assessment has the detail.
What it means for you
- Renters and buyers: a permit is the first step, not a finished home. Large buildings usually take a year or more to build, so these units will not reach the market soon.
- Neighbors: the Census figures do not say where the buildings are. Our guide to building permits and zoning explains how to look up projects and zoning cases near you.
- Owners: the typical Sandy Springs home value hit a record in September. Our home values story has the numbers.
The figures are permits as reported, and in some cases estimated, by the Census Bureau. The bureau revises them in its annual file.
Frequently asked questions
How many housing units did Sandy Springs permit in September 2026?
383, according to the Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey: 379 units in two buildings of five or more units and four single-family homes, with a total construction value of $67,188,638.
How many housing units has Sandy Springs permitted in 2026?
776 from January through September 2026, up from 468 in the same months of 2025. Of the 2026 total, 720 units are in buildings of five or more units.
Does a permit mean the homes are being built?
Not necessarily. The survey counts units authorized by building permits, not construction starts, and the Census Bureau revises the figures in its annual file.
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