Construction volumes stayed on the level of the previous year

The production value of building construction was 1.3 billion euros and the production of civil engineering works totalled 897 million euros. Compared to 2012, the volume of building construction and the volume of civil engineering stayed on the level of the previous year

(the growth was 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively). The volume of the construction market in 2013 is comparable with the years 2006 and 2008, but was more than a sixth smaller than in 2007, the most successful year on the construction market so far.

The growth on the domestic construction market was mainly caused by the upturn in new building construction and was also supported by civil engineering. The repair and reconstruction work in building construction stayed on the level of the previous year

In 2013, the construction volume of Estonian construction enterprises in foreign countries decreased 13% – there was a decrease in the construction of buildings as well as in civil engineering. Construction volumes in foreign countries accounted for 9% of the total volume of construction.

The number of dwelling completions increased for the second year in a row. According to the data of the Register of Construction Works, in 2013, the number of dwelling completions was 2,079, i.e. 90 dwellings more than the year earlier. Similarly to 2012, the largest share of completed dwellings were situated in one-family, two-family or terraced houses and every second dwelling had four or more rooms. In 2013, the average floor area of a completed dwelling was 120 square metres, which is also one of the biggest in the last fifteen years. The majority of completed dwellings were situated in Tallinn, in the neighbouring rural municipalities of Tallinn and in Tartu city.

There is still a demand for new dwellings with a good location and high quality. In 2013, building permits were granted for the construction of 3,049 dwellings. Although the number of dwellings to be built grew only a little compared to the previous year, there are several new developments appearing on the market, especially higher buildings (the construction of which had practically stopped in the intervening years), which helps to abate the demand for flats in Tallinn.

In 2013, the number of completed non-residential buildings was 887 with a useful floor area of 607,000 square metres – this was primarily made up of new storage, agricultural and industrial premises. Compared to 2012, the useful floor area as well as the cubic capacity of completed non-residential buildings increased.

In the 4th quarter of 2013, the production value of construction amounted to 566 million euros, which is 4% less than in the 4th quarter of 2012, whereas the construction of buildings increased by 2% and the construction of civil engineering works decreased more than a tenth.

Construction volume index, 2000–2013
(2010 = 100)