Fewer new houses are being built this year than last in the Magic City, but commercial building is on the rise.
The number of city building permits for single family homes is down 38% compared to last year's figures.
Local builders speculate the economy and difficulty obtaining large loans are key factors.
Meanwhile, commercial, duplex, and multi-family building is up about 28% over past year, while the rate of remodels has stayed about the same.
Overall, the number of building permits being issued by the city has fallen from just over 14,000 to just above 13,000.
Construction in Billings as a whole is down from last year, but if you break it down into groups its the sub-contractors that are really taking the hit.
When the jobs just aren't out there, it's time to figure out how to market yourself, which is exactly what a local roofer is doing.
Climbing up ladders to install and repair roof shingles is something John Marstaeller has been doing on a daily basis for seven years.
But within the past year, he is discovering it's becoming more and more difficult to find work.
"At least over the last 12 months in the Billings area, there's been a decrease in new home building, in the whole construction industry," says the roofer by trade.
City data proves the roofer's theory to be true. Within the last year the number of building permits issued by the city for single family housing has dropped from 392 to 243, that's a 38% decrease. And that drop has not gone unnoticed by the construction community.
"I've talked to quite a few people in the area and in the industry and they've noticed the same thing. And they're not sure, you know, a little bit skeptic about the future and what it holds," says Marstaeller.
Fact of the matter is, loan availability just isn't there like it used to be. And that puts quite a halt on building.
Marstaeller markets himself as a roofer, but he does have experience in many other areas of homebuilding, which gives him an upper-hand when looking for work outside of roofing.
"When I first started we actually built houses start to finish and about three years ago I was on a crew when I did my roofing on the side but we also built houses," claims Marstaeller.
But the self-employed father of three is well aware that he needs to keep the cash flow coming in.
"Being self-employed I have to pay my own insurance and stuff. So if I get hurt or if I don't work, me and my kids don't eat," he admits.
At this point Marstaeller is still able to find small jobs here and there, but he's resorting to every connection he has.
"If people don't call me, I start calling them."
And if that doesn't work, he'll resort to newspaper ads.
