Construction Boom Likely To Continue

The head of the Upper Cumberland Home Builders Association said he expects the residential construction boom to continue.

President Eric Walker said local builders and subcontractors have worked through the tornado and overcome the challenges of COVID-19.

“The numbers look very good for both the county and the city,” Walker said. “Increases over last year for the county looked, and that’s year to date…has been substantial [and] record breaking [for May]. We’re looking at great growth in the county and the city.”

Putnam County tallied 38 residential permits issued in May at a record $6 million. Cookeville saw a 23 percent rise in May.

“People are starting to see that we live in a great place,” Walker said. “We just got the right metrics for an area that is constantly growing. We are the heart of the Upper Cumberland, we’re a hub, and we’re reaching that place where we’re kinda growing from a micropolitan on forward.”

Walker said custom home builders are booked for several months. He said building companies are expanding in order to meet this rising construction demand. He said realtors are reporting fast movement of homes across the county.

Residential construction is on the rise for Putnam County with a 17 percent increase from last year.

“We’ve come back to still have some of the highest growth for the year,” Walker said. “[This] just shows you how resilient the Home Builders are and the sub contractors. They’re really worked hard to get where they’re at. They’re just kinda pushing through working and adapting to the things that they need to do to continue on.”