Total construction value topped $35.3 million in Hanover during 2020, over triple the amount compared to 2019.
The number of new single detached dwellings went from 12 in 2019 up to 28 last year, while multi-residential dwellings rose from 11 to 32.
Chief Building Official Don Tedford says construction construction in Hanover soared "to levels not seen in the last 40 years in 2020", noting an influx of people from the city choosing to find a new house in Hanover in order to work from home may have contributed to the spike.
"At one time, anyone moving into rural Ontario was looking for a single detached dwelling on a single lot as big as they could find, but the lots are getting smaller, the houses are getting bigger, and the prices are getting higher," said Tedford.
Hanover council noted while discussing 2020's numbers that although unusual considering the impacts of COVID-19, property and construction costs "have continuted to escalate, with increases more than 100% for the cost of a new detached dwelling".