iN NUMBERS: Fluctuating construction stats in Kamloops, Okanagan

Statistics on construction tend to fluctuate, so a dip in the numbers isn’t necessarily a reason to hit the panic button.

A handful of big projects can dramatically sway the data like building permit values from month to month, so a wider view tends to paint a better picture.

Here are the numbers on the construction industry in Kamloops, the Okanagan and BC:

• 271,600: People in B.C. worked in construction in January.
• 373: Construction cranes are currently operating in B.C., down from a peak of 409 in 2024, but significantly higher than 261 in 2021.
• 203: That’s how many housing starts there were in Kelowna in January.
• 26.6: Million dollars. That was the building permit value for Kelowna in January.
• 32: Million dollars. That was the building permit value for Kelowna in January 2025.
• 21: Million dollars. That was Kamloops’ building permit value for February this year.
• 2: Industrial permits in Kamloops account for $9 million in permit value for February.
• 170,000: Dollars. That’s the cost of construction for one swimming pool and hot tub that received a permit in Kamloops.
• 4: Million dollars. That’s the building permit value for Penticton in January, down from $13.9 million in January 2025.
• 10: Million dollars in building permit value in Penticton for January 2025 came from two permits for a total of 48 units of multi-family housing.
• 15.5: Million dollars. That’s the building permit value for Vernon in January.