A government report today shows a national increase in building permits for new homes and apartment buildings in February, but that uptick has yet to reach Greater Des Moines.

The U.S. Commerce Department said permits issued in February projected to an annual rate of 547,000, a 3 percent increase from January.

Though final numbers for February are not available for Greater Des Moines, the number of single-family permits issued last month dropped to 42 from 44 in January, said Creighton Cox, director of government affairs for the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines.

“Generally, it’s down from last year, but I wouldn’t say that’s as much the economy as it is the weather,” Cox said.

The number of single- and multi-family permits issued for the six-county reporting area that includes Des Moines dropped 85 percent in January compared with January 2008, according to Home Builders Association data that is based on U.S. Census Bureau surveys.

The Commerce Department report also showed an increase across the country in housing starts and completions.

Most construction under way or anticipated in Greater Des Moines is for homes that are built on demand, Cox said.

Based on inquiries during the association’s home expo, “people appear to be interested in building, but they might want to build in two years,” Cox said.

He said the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit contained in the federal stimulus bill appears to be spurring interest among owners of townhomes who want a “house with a yard,” Cox said.