By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Through the end of July, Alabaster’s number of new housing starts had already topped the city’s 2011, 2012 and 2013 year-end totals, and was on track to be the highest the city has seen in several years.

In July, the Alabaster Fire Department’s Planning and Safety Division issued 12 new home building permits for projects valued at a total of about $2.2 million. The 12 permits issued in July brought Alabaster’s year-to-date total to 69 new home building permits for projects valued at a total of more than $16 million through the end of July.

In comparison, Alabaster had issued 58 new home building permits for projects valued at a total of about $15 million through the end of July 2015.

In 2011, Alabaster finished the year with 30 new home building permits, followed by 57 in 2012 and 61 in 2013. The city ended 2014 with 77 new home building permits and ended 2015 with 100.

Alabaster has also seen an increase in the overall valuation of residential addition and remodel projects.

Through the end of July, the city had issued 121 residential addition and remodel permits for projects valued at a total of nearly $2.2 million. During the same time period last year, the city had issued 146 such permits for projects valued at a total of about $1.4 million.

In the commercial sector, the city continued to lag behind last year’s numbers.

Through the first seven months of this year, the city had issued eight new commercial building permits for projects valued at a total of about $5.1 million. Last year, the city had issued eight new commercial building permits for projects valued at more than $12.6 million.

In the commercial addition or remodel sector, the city had issued 33 permits for projects valued at about $1.1 million through the end of July. At the end of July 2015, Alabaster had issued 52 permits for projects totaling nearly $3.7 million.