Hamilton made a splash in building permits last year

The demand is huge. It's incredible. Everybody wants a pool," Carlos Mercante, the co-founder of Hamilton-based pool business Mercante Brothers said.

Hamilton was one of the top five cities in Ontario for residential building permits issued in 2021, with permits for pools helping drive that trend.

The city saw a sharp jump in residential pool permits in 2021 - up by 32 per cent from 2020 - at 566, only second to Ottawa.

When the pandemic restrictions were imposed in early 2020, Mercante had expected to lose business given the circumstances.

If we're hit by a recession, we're the ones that get hit first because (residential) pool is leisure," he told The Spec. People will be more concerned about putting food on the table before they put a pool in their backyard."

But Mercante was surprised to see a growing demand for pools amid a global pandemic - a first in his 35-year career.

Overall, provincial building permits rose by 15 per cent, according to data provided by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), a government agency that determines the assessed value of properties across the province.

The city of Hamilton ranked fourth in the province with 5,615 permits compared to 4,438 permits in 2020, an increase of 26.5 per cent. Toronto had the most permits at 9,478 in 2021, a 28 per cent hike compared to the previous year. Other cities in the top five were Brampton, Ottawa, and London.

Carmelo Lipsi, vice-president and COO of MPAC told The Spectator in an email that the increase in permits reinforced the notion that pandemic restrictions were a driver of home improvement.

For some property owners, ongoing travel restrictions meant home improvement staycation renovations such as swimming pools, decks, and backyard getaways," said Lipsi.

With more organizations considering permanent hybrid work arrangements, property owners may be adapting their homes to accommodate this new reality, Lipsi said.

Mercante, who runs the pool company with his brother, said they install about 20 pools every season, and their schedule is nearly booked for this year.

I've been telling people that they're starting the process too late if want to swim this year," he said. Although he can squeeze a few more bookings at the end of the season, Mercante said that clients should start booking now for next year.

Renovation permits surged 23 per cent overall in 2021, MPAC numbers show, as Hamilton residents applied for permits to add or renovate their homes.

The city also issued the highest number of permits for decks at 884, a 29 per cent increase year-over-year.

The value of Hamilton's 2021 building permits made history, surpassing $2 billion for the first time. The valuation of residential permits was up by 53.3 per cent over the three-year average, totalling more than $1 billion.

Ritika Dubey is a reporter at The Spectator. rdubey@thespec.com