Kamloops’ construction sector remained resilient in 2025, finishing the year as one of the strongest on record despite ongoing challenges in single-family home construction.
City data shows total construction value reached just under $350 million across 1,066 building permits, placing 2025 among the top three busiest years ever for the local building industry. The final tally edged slightly above 2024 levels, underscoring a period of sustained stability rather than rapid growth.
Chief Building Official Marc Vere says that consistency is a positive signal, particularly given shifting market conditions.
“Overall, we are consistent,” Vere said. “Even with the decline in single-family dwellings—almost cut in half—the other sectors have picked up. Multi-family construction has filled that gap.”
Residential construction continued to drive the majority of activity, accounting for nearly two-thirds of total construction value. The city approved permits for 733 new housing units in 2025, exceeding the previous year’s total, though much of that growth came from apartment and multi-unit developments rather than detached homes.
The shift reflects both market realities and broader policy direction. While the province has set ambitious housing targets for municipalities, Vere emphasized that the city’s role is primarily to create conditions that allow development to proceed.
“We don’t build housing,” he said. “It’s really up to the development community. What we can do is adjust zoning and allow higher density, which makes these projects more feasible.”
Vere added that larger multi-family projects often make more financial sense for developers, helping explain the ongoing move away from single-family construction.
Several large-scale projects also contributed significantly to 2025’s overall numbers. Late in the year, the city issued a major footing and foundation permit for the new cancer clinic, helping make December stronger than typically expected. Additional permits were also issued for continued work at the Kelson development.
While December is usually a quieter month for construction, the city still recorded higher activity than the same period in 2024, reflecting a steady pipeline of institutional and residential work.
Looking ahead to 2026, Vere anticipates a modest increase in construction value, though he cautioned that predicting future activity remains difficult.
“It’s a bit of a crystal ball,” he said. “We can only really go by what’s already in the development permit stream.”
Several large projects could shape the coming year, including ongoing work at the Kamloops Centre for the Arts, potential arena developments, and other Build Kamloops initiatives. Additional phases of the cancer clinic—covering structural and interior work—are also expected to move forward.
Another significant change heading into 2026 is the rollout of the city’s new ePermit application system, which launched in early December. Vere says the early response has been encouraging.
“We’ve had good uptake so far,” he said, noting that the system provides live tracking and a centralized document repository to reduce delays and miscommunication.
While some early adjustments are still being worked through, the city plans to implement improvements gradually as feedback is collected from builders and designers.
With major projects in the pipeline, steady residential demand, and new tools aimed at streamlining approvals, Kamloops appears positioned to maintain its strong construction momentum into the new year.
