Massachusetts has seen a steady increase in its population throughout its history and that trend is continuing into 2015. Since the state is constantly welcoming new residents, it would stand to reason that there would be a brisk residential construction industry in the state that attracts contractors from all over New England. But the truth about the Massachusetts residential construction industry is that it is very complex and, in order to understand its future, you have to break it down into component parts.
More Massachusetts residents are trying to turn their home owning dreams into a reality.
Building To Meet Demand
In 2014, the number of permits issued for new residential construction went up 30 percent from the previous year. According to the Boston Globe, the state of Massachusetts is notorious for its inability to issue permits for housing construction that is badly needed. Many residential construction observers took the rise in permits to mean that a new age of home construction had started, but the joy was premature.
Up to September 2015, new permits were down eight percent from 2014 and that number does not look like it is going to improve this year. It is mystifying to many Massachusetts contractors that, in a state that needs new construction, the permits required to do the construction are hard to come by.
Bigger Is Better
One national residential construction trend that will affect the state of Massachusetts is the move towards building larger homes. According to Louisville Business First, the national average for a home being built in the 1970’s was around 2,000 square feet. As 2015 gets underway, that average has risen to almost 6,000 square feet.
With the significant need for new home construction in Massachusetts and the difficulty contractors are seeing in getting permits, these larger homes could take on much more significance. If the trend is towards larger homes, then that may reduce the number middle class families who can afford to build new homes and that can also put a dent in the Massachusetts housing market.
A new day could be dawning for the Massachusetts residential construction industry.
Massachusetts Stays Green
For several years now, the state of Massachusetts has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council as one of the top 10 states for environmentally-friendly construction. In 2015, Massachusetts intends to maintain that trend by approving more green projects and doing what it can to save energy and resources.
A green residential construction project has to be approved by the state in order to qualify, but Massachusetts has seen a rise in green projects over the past four years that has started to save residents money. Green construction saves money by using more efficient building processes, recycled materials, and developing systems that reduce energy costs.
If you want to get involved in the Massachusetts construction industry as a supervisor, then you have to be licenses. The Massachusetts Contractors Academy has all of the information and classes you need to pass your licensing test. You do not have to pay for your classes until you pass and you can get your Massachusetts construction career started today.
George N Root III is a professional freelance writer who has expertise in topics such as Internet marketing, business, advertising, and personal finance.