Homebuilding has greatest year since 2007

Homebuilding activity slowed slightly in December, but 2014 still turned out to be the busiest for builders in central Indiana in seven years.

Builders filed 325 single-family building permits in the nine-county central Indiana area last month, the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis said Tuesday. That was down 2 percent from the 333 that were filed in the same month of 2013.

But 5,084 permits were filed overall in 2014, a 3 percent increase over the 4,959 filed in 2013.

Builders haven’t topped 5,000 permit filings since 2007, when 7,326 permits were issued.

As usual, Hamilton County led the area in filings, with 1,833 in 2014, but that was down 3 percent from the year before.

Filings were up 8 percent in Hendricks County, and 1 percent in Johnson County. More permits were also issued in Marion, Hancock, Morgan and Madison counties.

Fewer permits were filed in Boone and Shelby counties.