Approvals are the earliest signal of how busy the trades will be. A dwelling approved today is a slab, a frame and a fit out in the months ahead. Here’s what the latest official data shows for 2026, how far the country is from its housing target, and what it means for your workload and your cash flow.
Key takeaways
- The ABS reported 17,687 dwellings approved in July 2026, up 9.0% on July 2025 (seasonally adjusted).
- House approvals have been above 10,000 a month for much of 2026, levels last seen in late 2021.
- There were 243,864 dwellings under construction in the March quarter 2026 (ABS), which the housing council says is the most since 1984.
- The 1.2 million homes target is running behind, with the housing council estimating it won’t be met until the December quarter 2030.
- More work means more cash tied up before claims are paid, so plan your funding before you scale up.
What are the latest ABS building approvals figures?
The ABS Building Approvals, Australia, July 2026 release, published 1 September 2026, is the most recent monthly data. All figures below are seasonally adjusted unless stated.
| Measure (July 2026) | Result | Change on June 2026 | Change on July 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings approved | 17,687 | down 3.6% | up 9.0% |
| Private sector houses | 10,199 | down 4.2% | up 6.0% |
| Private dwellings excluding houses (units, townhouses) | 7,119 | down 0.4% | up 19.9% |
| Total dwellings, trend estimate | 18,365 | up 0.8% | up 11.7% |
The value of residential building approved fell 4.9% to $11.26 billion, while non-residential building rose 14.4% to $9.93 billion in July 2026. State results were mixed, with falls in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia and rises in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia.
Earlier in the year, the ABS noted that house approvals had exceeded 10,000 for three consecutive months to April 2026, the first time since late 2021 (ABS, 2 June 2026).
Are approvals turning into actual building work?
Approvals are only the start. The ABS Building Activity, Australia, March 2026 release (published 8 July 2026) shows what happened on the ground in the March quarter 2026:
- Dwellings commenced: 48,012, down 11.2% on the December quarter and up 0.2% on a year earlier
- Private houses commenced: 27,658, down 3.5% on the quarter
- Dwellings completed: 43,816, down 0.4% on the quarter
- Dwellings under construction: 243,864, including 90,972 new houses
- Value of building work done: $44.8 billion, up 8.0% over the year
In plain terms: approvals are up, but starts haven’t kept pace in every quarter, and there’s a huge amount of work already in the pipeline. That pipeline is what keeps trades busy, and it’s also why good subbies are hard to book.
Is Australia on track for 1.2 million homes?
Under the National Housing Accord, governments set a target of 1.2 million new homes over five years from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council’s August 2026 quarterly report found:
- about 308,000 homes completed since the Accord started, around one quarter of the target, with data to the March quarter 2026 (35% of the way through the Accord period)
- quarterly building approvals in the June quarter 2026 were 26% higher than in the June quarter 2024
- quarterly commencements in the March quarter 2026 were 15% higher than in the June quarter 2024
- 244,000 dwellings under construction in the March quarter 2026, the highest since 1984
- the Council now estimates the target will be reached in the December quarter 2030
The takeaway for trades: the policy push for more housing isn’t going away, and the backlog of work is large. Demand for capable tradies and small builders is likely to stay strong.
What’s happening with building costs?
Costs are still climbing. The ABS Producer Price Indexes, June 2026 release reported house construction prices rose 2.0% in the June quarter 2026, the largest quarterly rise since September 2022, and 5.9% over the year. The ABS pointed to fuel costs, shipping delays and continued shortages of trades such as bricklayers, carpenters and concreters. The housing council reported house construction costs are 51% higher than before the pandemic.
For anyone quoting fixed price work, that’s a reason to check your contingencies and how long your quotes stay open.
What does this mean for tradie workloads and cash flow?
More work is good news, but it changes your cash flow in four ways.
- More jobs at once means more money out first. Every new job needs wages, materials and sometimes equipment before the first claim is paid.
- Longer payment chains. On unit and townhouse projects there are often more layers between the owner and you, which can slow payments.
- Cost pressure on fixed prices. If your price is locked and your costs aren’t, your margin shrinks as the job runs.
- Labour competition. Keeping good workers may mean paying more, and paying on time every time.
Example: A concreting business in western Sydney has been doing two house slabs a week. A builder offers steady work on a townhouse project that would double its weekly volume. That means a second crew, a second truck and double the concrete and steel orders, all paid 30 or more days before the builder pays. The owner uses equity in her home for a 9 month working capital loan to fund the step up, then repays it from the extra claims.
How can tradies and small builders prepare?
- Forecast cash flow for each new job before you accept it, including when you’ll actually be paid.
- Stagger start dates so you’re not funding several jobs at their most expensive stage at once.
- Lock in materials for signed jobs where prices are moving. See building materials finance.
- Know your security of payment rights so claims don’t sit unpaid.
- Upgrade equipment before the rush, not in the middle of it. See equipment finance for tradies.
- Line up funding early. A facility arranged before you sign the big job is far easier than one arranged when wages are due.
Small builders stepping into duplex and townhouse projects can read about duplex and townhouse construction finance, and those doing 2 to 4 lots can see small subdivision finance. Remember, our construction funding is secured against property you already own, not the value of the finished build.
Key facts about our loans
- Loan size: $20,000 to $5 million, for business purposes
- Property secured: existing home, investment, commercial property or land with equity; no financials; bad credit considered
- Speed: property secured in as little as 24 hours in some cases; some unsecured loans funded within hours
- Term: property secured typically 1 to 12 months
- Unsecured: 6+ months trading with an ABN, sized to turnover
Ready to take on more work?
If the pipeline is full and the cash isn’t, see if you qualify in 60 seconds. It won’t affect your credit score, there’s no cost to enquire, and a lending specialist will call you back to talk through your options.
