By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The commercial and residential building and remodeling markets have seen a hot start to 2016 so far, and are keeping pace with last year’s strong numbers.

The Alabaster Department of Building Safety recently released its February numbers, which indicate the markets are continuing their upward trend since the nationwide real estate crash hit the nation in 2007-2008.

In February, Alabaster issued four new home building permits, bringing the year-to-date total to 10 new homes at the end of February. The number matches the number of new home building permits the city had issued through the first two months of 2015.

The year-to-date total so far this year is a third of the city’s year-end total in 2011. In 2011, the city issued 30 new home building permits before the number rose to 57 in 2012, 61 in 2013, 77 in 2014 and 100 last year.

Residential addition and remodeling permits also are keeping pace with last year.

In February, the city issued 13 residential addition and remodeling permits, bringing the year-to-date total to 26 such permits through the end of February. Through the end of February 2015, the city had issued 28 residential addition and remodel permits.

In the commercial sector, Alabaster is slightly lagging behind last year in its number of new commercial building starts.

So far this year, the city has not yet issued any new commercial building permits. During the same time period last year, the city had issued a total of five new commercial building permits.

The commercial addition and renovation market is up slightly this year compared to last year.

In February, the city issued 10 commercial addition and remodel permits, bringing the year-to-date total to 16. Through the first two months of last year, the city had issued 15 such permits.