North Jefferson County officials are seeing a glimmer of hope from an increase in sales of some types of building permits.

While no one claims the economy has recovered from the recession, they are pleased to see some building activity returning this year.

“There’s a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel,” said Brent Earnest, building inspector for Warrior and Kimberly.

Earnest said four new houses are under construction at the Indian Acres subdivision in Warrior.

“New home construction had gone to nothing,” he said.

In Kimberly, three new houses are under construction in Kimbercrest and others are being built in the Saddlebrook Farms and Avalon Point subdivisions, according to Earnest.

“There are also some other lots that have been sold, so we expect permits to be bought for them soon,” he said.

Further south, Robert Ryant reported to the Gardendale City Council recently that the city is “getting bombarded with remodeling permits.”

Ryant, Gardendale’s building inspection superintendent, said contractors in recent weeks have purchased three permits for “$300,000-plus” houses.

However, “remodels are what’s keeping us afloat,” he said.

Darryl Aldrich, building inspector for the city of Fultondale, said there have been about 15 “new starts” in his city within the last month.

That includes two to three new homes a month in addition to remodels.

Aldrich said remodeling projects in Fultondale never really dropped, even when other building did stop. Earnest said the same was true in Warrior.

“We’ve always had an average amount of remodeling,” Aldrich said. “For awhile (permits for new homes) got really slow, but about the first of the year it has really cranked up. The last month has been the best.”

Aldrich said some builders are trying to finish houses in order to take advantage of a tax rebate, where April 30 is the deadline to purchase a home or have a purchase under contract in order to receive a tax credit of up to $8,000.

“I hope that’s not the only reason,” he said, because then building would drop off again in May. “I hope they’re also just trying to get some new houses on the market.

In addition to the tax credit, Ryant attributes much of the building activity to banks hiring contractors to finish houses in foreclosure status.

“They’re hiring people to finish them so they can sell them,” Ryant said.