From fueling billions in economic growth to providing half a million hard hats with paychecks, Florida's construction industry is building far more than just structures—it's constructing the very framework of the state's future.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Florida's construction sector employed 492,300 workers, accounting for 5.2% of total state employment.
- As of May 2024, the average hourly wage for construction laborers in Florida was $20.47.
- Florida construction employment grew by 4.8% year-over-year from May 2023 to May 2024, adding 24,800 jobs.
- In 2023, Florida's construction industry contributed $62.4 billion to the state's GDP.
- Construction accounted for 4.8% of Florida's total GDP in 2023.
- Total construction spending in Florida reached $112.5 billion in 2023.
- Florida issued 156,200 residential building permits in 2023.
- Single-family home permits in Florida: 104,500 in 2023.
- Multi-family permits in Florida totaled 51,700 units in 2023.
- Florida construction industry recorded 4.2 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2022.
- Total construction fatalities in Florida: 156 in 2022.
- Fall from height incidents: 42% of Florida construction fatalities in 2022.
- Florida construction market grew 5.6% in 2023, projected 4.2% in 2024.
- Residential construction forecast: +3.8% growth in Florida 2024.
- Non-residential growth projected at 5.1% for Florida 2024.
Florida's construction industry is booming with strong job growth and significant economic contributions.
Building Permits and Projects
- Florida issued 156,200 residential building permits in 2023.
- Single-family home permits in Florida: 104,500 in 2023.
- Multi-family permits in Florida totaled 51,700 units in 2023.
- Florida commercial building permits valued at $22.4 billion in 2023.
- Total building permits issued in Florida: 189,400 in 2023.
- Miami-Dade County issued 28,900 permits in 2023.
- Broward County building permits: 22,100 in 2023.
- Orange County permits: 15,600 in 2023.
- Hillsborough County construction permits: 14,200 in 2023.
- Palm Beach County permits issued: 12,800 in 2023.
- Florida road and highway projects under construction: 1,250 miles in 2023.
- New hotel projects permitted in Florida: 45 in 2023.
- Hospital construction permits: 12 projects valued at $4.2B in 2023.
- School construction permits in Florida: 78 projects in 2023.
- Warehouse/distribution center permits: 210 in Florida 2023.
- Office building permits declined 15% to 34 projects in 2023.
- Retail construction permits: 56 projects in Florida 2023.
- Data center projects permitted: 8 in Florida 2023.
- Affordable housing units permitted: 18,400 in 2023.
- High-rise condo permits: 22 projects in 2023.
- Industrial construction starts: 145 projects worth $9.8B in 2023.
- Airport expansion projects: 5 major permits in 2023.
- Port infrastructure permits: 14 projects in 2023.
- Water treatment plant permits: 29 in Florida 2023.
- Sewer system upgrades permitted: 42 projects in 2023.
Building Permits and Projects Interpretation
While Floridians are busy debating whether they need another high-rise condo or a bigger warehouse, the state itself is quietly, and with immense concrete determination, building everything from the roads to get there to the sewer systems to handle it all.
Financial and Economic Impact
- In 2023, Florida's construction industry contributed $62.4 billion to the state's GDP.
- Construction accounted for 4.8% of Florida's total GDP in 2023.
- Total construction spending in Florida reached $112.5 billion in 2023.
- Residential construction contributed $48.7 billion to Florida economy in 2023.
- Non-residential construction value was $63.8 billion in Florida 2023.
- Florida construction firms generated $145.2 billion in revenue in 2022.
- Average construction firm revenue in Florida was $4.2 million in 2022.
- Construction taxes paid in Florida totaled $5.1 billion in 2023.
- Multiplier effect of construction spending in Florida was 2.8 in 2023.
- Construction supported 1.2 million indirect jobs in Florida in 2023.
- Florida construction industry exports reached $2.3 billion in 2022.
- Investment in Florida construction infrastructure was $28.4 billion in 2023.
- Private construction investment in Florida: $84.1 billion in 2023.
- Public sector construction spending: $28.4 billion in Florida 2023.
- Cost per square foot for Florida commercial construction averaged $210 in 2023.
- Residential construction costs rose 7.2% in Florida in 2023.
- Florida construction profit margins averaged 5.8% in 2023.
- Bonded construction projects in Florida valued at $45.6 billion in 2023.
- Construction loans issued in Florida totaled $32.1 billion in 2023.
- Inflation impact on Florida construction costs: +6.4% in 2023.
- Miami construction GDP contribution: $18.2 billion in 2023.
- Tampa construction economic output: $12.4 billion in 2023.
- Orlando construction revenue: $11.8 billion in 2023.
- Jacksonville construction GDP: $8.7 billion in 2023.
- Fort Lauderdale construction economic impact: $9.3 billion in 2023.
Financial and Economic Impact Interpretation
Florida may be known for its sunshine and beaches, but in 2023 it was clear the state was built on a formidable foundation of cement, cash flow, and a whole lot of tax revenue, with construction quietly pouring over $62 billion directly into its economic engine while supporting a small army of workers.
Market Trends and Forecasts
- Florida construction market grew 5.6% in 2023, projected 4.2% in 2024.
- Residential construction forecast: +3.8% growth in Florida 2024.
- Non-residential growth projected at 5.1% for Florida 2024.
- Florida construction backlog reached 11.2 months in Q4 2023.
- Sustainable construction projects up 22% in Florida 2023-2024.
- Modular construction adoption: 15% of projects in 2023.
- BIM usage in Florida construction: 68% of firms in 2023.
- Labor shortage projected to impact 25% of Florida projects in 2024.
- Material cost forecast: +4.5% rise in Florida 2024.
- Infrastructure bill funding for Florida: $14.2 billion through 2026.
- Data center construction boom: +30% growth forecast 2024.
- Hotel pipeline: 12,500 rooms under construction in 2024.
- Manufacturing facilities forecast: 18 new projects in 2024.
- EV charging station projects: 5,200 planned by 2025.
- Sea-level rise resilient projects: 45% increase planned 2024.
- Prefab housing market share projected at 20% by 2025.
- Tech-integrated smart buildings: 35% of new projects 2024.
- Renovation/retrofit market: $18.5B forecast for 2024.
- Miami market growth: 6.2% projected 2024.
- Tampa trends: Industrial up 8% in 2024 forecast.
- Orlando multifamily forecast: +4.9% units 2024.
- Jacksonville infrastructure spend: $2.1B projected 2024.
- Fort Myers coastal projects: 12% growth forecast 2024.
Market Trends and Forecasts Interpretation
While Florida's construction industry is confidently charging ahead like a data center on a double espresso, with robust growth, federal billions, and a green revolution sprouting in concrete, it’s doing so while simultaneously patching the hull against labor shortages and rising costs—much like a luxury coastal high-rise building a seawall during high tide.
Safety and Regulations
- Florida construction industry recorded 4.2 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2022.
- Total construction fatalities in Florida: 156 in 2022.
- Fall from height incidents: 42% of Florida construction fatalities in 2022.
- Struck-by incidents accounted for 24% of construction deaths in Florida 2022.
- OSHA citations in Florida construction: 2,850 in 2023.
- Average OSHA fine per violation in Florida construction: $15,200 in 2023.
- Lost workday injuries in Florida construction: 7,200 cases in 2022.
- Days away from work due to injuries: 142,000 in Florida construction 2022.
- Florida construction DART rate: 2.8 incidents per 100 workers in 2022.
- Heat-related illnesses in Florida construction: 1,250 cases in 2023.
- Crane-related incidents: 14 in Florida construction 2022.
- Trenching collapse fatalities: 8 in Florida 2022.
- Electrical fatalities in construction: 21 in Florida 2022.
- Safety training compliance rate: 92% among Florida contractors in 2023.
- Workers' comp claims in Florida construction: 45,600 in 2022.
- Average workers' comp cost per employee: $2,840 in 2023.
- Miami construction safety violations: 780 in 2023.
- Orlando area construction incidents: 210 injuries in 2022.
- Tampa construction fatality rate: 3.9 per 100k in 2022.
- Jacksonville safety inspections: 1,200 in 2023.
- Licensing violations in construction: 3,400 cases in 2023.
- DBPR construction licenses issued: 89,200 active in 2023.
- Building code violation fines: $12.5 million in 2023.
- Storm-resistant construction compliance: 87% in 2023.
- PPE usage rate in Florida construction: 96% in 2023 surveys.
Safety and Regulations Interpretation
Florida's construction industry is a paradox where 92% safety training compliance somehow still yields a grim harvest of preventable tragedies, proving that a hard hat and a certificate are no match for complacency and cutting corners.
Workforce and Employment
- In 2023, Florida's construction sector employed 492,300 workers, accounting for 5.2% of total state employment.
- As of May 2024, the average hourly wage for construction laborers in Florida was $20.47.
- Florida construction employment grew by 4.8% year-over-year from May 2023 to May 2024, adding 24,800 jobs.
- In 2022, there were 45,200 construction managers employed in Florida.
- Women represented 10.3% of Florida's construction workforce in 2023.
- Hispanic or Latino workers made up 42.1% of Florida construction employees in 2022.
- The construction industry in Florida had a labor force participation rate of 68.5% in 2023.
- From 2020 to 2023, Florida construction apprenticeships increased by 28%, reaching 12,500 participants.
- In 2023, 15.2% of Florida construction workers were union members.
- Florida's construction unemployment rate was 4.1% in 2023, below the national average of 4.5%.
- There were 112,400 carpenters employed in Florida's construction industry in 2022.
- Electricians in Florida construction numbered 38,700 in 2023, with a 3.2% growth rate.
- Plumbers and pipefitters in Florida construction totaled 29,500 workers in 2022.
- Operating engineers in Florida construction employment reached 22,100 in 2023.
- Construction supervisors in Florida increased to 56,800 in 2023.
- In 2023, 22% of Florida construction workers were aged 55 and older.
- Entry-level construction jobs in Florida grew by 6.5% in 2023.
- Florida construction industry had 8,200 job openings per month on average in 2023.
- Veteran employment in Florida construction was 12.4% of the workforce in 2022.
- STEM-skilled workers in Florida construction rose to 18% in 2023.
- In 2023, Florida construction turnover rate was 42.3% annually.
- Training hours per construction worker in Florida averaged 28 hours in 2022.
- Florida construction workforce diversity index improved to 0.65 in 2023.
- Self-employed construction workers in Florida numbered 98,500 in 2022.
- Part-time construction employment in Florida was 7.8% of total in 2023.
- Florida construction jobs by county: Miami-Dade led with 112,000 in 2023.
- Broward County construction employment: 78,400 workers in 2023.
- Orange County construction workforce: 52,100 in 2023.
- Hillsborough County construction jobs: 48,900 in 2023.
- Palm Beach County construction employment: 41,200 in 2023.
Workforce and Employment Interpretation
Florida's construction boom is roaring with opportunity and churn, employing nearly half a million while fighting to build its future on a foundation of robust growth, pressing vacancies, a quest for diversity, and a concerning number of experienced hands nearing retirement.
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