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Number of Bathrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2024

Web Master2025-12-04T09:15:50-06:00

Single-family homes started in 2024 typically had two full bathrooms, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Construction. Homes with three full bathrooms continued to have the second largest share of starts at around 23%. Meanwhile, both homes with four full bathrooms or more and homes with one bathroom or less made up under ten percent of homes started. A full bathroom, as defined by the Bureau, is one that has a washbasin, a toilet and either a bathtub or shower, or a combination of a bathtub and shower. In 2024, 65.0% of new single-family homes started in 2024 had two full bathrooms, marking the second consecutive year that this share has increased. The share of single-family starts with three full bathrooms fell for the third straight year, down to 23.3%, while the share of single-family starts with four or more bathrooms increased to 7.2%. For starts with one full bathroom or less, the share fell to 4.5%. Across the U.S., the East South Central division had the highest share, 71.6%, of new single-family starts having two full bathrooms. No other division had above a 70% share. The Census division with the lowest share was the Middle Atlantic, with 52.0% of new single-family starts reporting two full bathrooms. Starts in Middle Atlantic division were far more likely to have 4 full bathrooms or more, at 20.2%, more than double any other division in terms of share. Half-Bathrooms Most new single-family homes started in 2024 had no half-bathrooms at 53.7%. Following closely is the share of new single-family homes with one half-bathroom at 44.9%. New single-family starts with two or more half-bathrooms had a small share of 1.4% in 2024. A half bathroom contains a toilet, bathtub, or shower, but not all facilities to be classified as a full bathroom. Half-bathrooms are historically more prevalent in the New England Census division as compared to the other eight divisions. In 2024, 64.0% of new single-family homes started in the New England division had at least one half-bathroom. The lowest share occurred in the Pacific division, where only 38.3% of starts had at least one half-bathroom.

Number of Bathrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2024Web Master2025-12-04T09:15:50-06:00

August Private Residential Construction Spending Edges Higer

Web Master2025-11-17T11:14:28-06:00

Private residential construction spending inched up 0.8% in August, continuing steady growth since June 2025. This modest increase was primarily driven by more spending on multifamily construction and home improvements. However, total spending was 2% lower than a year ago, as the housing sector continues to navigate the economic uncertainty stemming from ongoing tariff concerns and elevated mortgage rates. According to the latest U.S. Census construction spending data, single-family construction spending slipped 0.4% in August, in line with the soft builder sentiment reflected in the August NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Compared to a year ago, single-family construction spending decreased by 1.1%. Improvement spending (remodeling) posted a solid 8.2% gain for the month, but it remained 1.3% lower than in August 2024. The remodeling sector continues to show resilience, supported by strong homeowner equity and persistent demand for home improvements. Meanwhile, multifamily construction spending rose 0.2% in August, marking a pause in the downward trend that began in mid-2023. Compared to a year earlier, multifamily spending was down 7.1%. The NAHB construction spending index is shown in the graph below. The index illustrates how spending on single-family construction has slowed since early 2024 under the pressure of elevated interest rates and concerns over building material tariffs. Multifamily construction spending growth has also slowed down after the peak in July 2023. Improvement spending has also been weakening since the beginning of 2025. Spending on private nonresidential construction was down 4% over a year ago. The annual private nonresidential spending decrease was primarily driven by a $20 billion drop in manufacturing construction spending, followed by a $11 billion decrease in commercial construction spending.

August Private Residential Construction Spending Edges Higer Web Master2025-11-17T11:14:28-06:00

The International Builders’ Show: The Leading Economic Forecast Event of the Year

Web Master2025-11-04T10:16:35-06:00

Every year, NAHB and other industry experts and economists bring their latest insights to the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS). For 2026, IBS offers an unparalleled lineup of IBS Education sessions that cover every sector of the housing industry: single-family, multifamily, remodeling, design trends, and building materials. The Builders’ Show in 2026 is in Orlando, February 17 – 19. This is the only event where you’ll find all these speakers and sessions at one conference: The Outlook: 2026 Housing & Economic Forecast (Super Session) Tuesday, February 17 | 2:15 – 3:45 PM This IBS Super Session is hosted by our very own Chief Economist, Robert Dietz, as well as Chief Economist of Realtor.com, Danielle Hale, and Chief Economist of Zonda, Ali Wolf. Not only does this session give you the chance to hear from these three nationally recognized economists, but it also gives you a complete overview of the housing economy. 2026 Multifamily Market Outlook Tuesday, February 17 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB AVP of Forecasting & Analysis, and Selma Hempp, Chief Economist of Cotality, host a deep dive into multifamily housing. Explore the construction pipeline, financing challenges, rent growth, and more. Join the discussion for an exclusive forecast of where the multifamily sector is headed. Remodeling by the Numbers: Market Outlook & Business Benchmarks for 2026 Wednesday, February 18 | 8:15 – 9:15 AM Featuring NAHB Economist Eric Lynch, as well as remodeling expert Alan Hanbury, learn what key indicators and trends are shaping the home improvement industry and where it is headed. Compare how your business is doing with exclusive benchmarks on profit margins, operating costs, and more with exclusive findings from the NAHB ‘Remodelers’ Cost of Doing Business’ study. Home Trends, Buyer Preferences & Most Likely Features for 2026 Wednesday, February 18 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM Explore the latest research on the home and community features buyers want most in this session led by NAHB AVP of Survey Research, Rose Quint and architect and industry thought-leader Donald Ruthroff. Discover what trends are shaping new home designs, including how preferences shift by price– point. See these trends in action, illustrated through award-winning designs from recent Best in American Living Awards™ (BALA) winners. Building Materials in Flux: Pricing Trends, Trade Dynamics & Supply Chain Wednesday, February 18 | 2:15 – 3:15 PM Gain timely insights into the ever-evolving trending issue of building materials, hosted by NAHB Director of Tax and Trade, Jesse Wade, custom builder and industry leader Don Dabbert, and industry expert and analyst Nishu Sood from John Burns Research and Consulting. Learn how key building materials like lumber are affected by tariffs and other international trade dynamics. Explore what’s driving material costs and availability, and how global and domestic supply chains are adapting. Register Now To attend IBS Education sessions, you must register for an Expo+Education Pass.  Seating for sessions is on a first-come, first-served basis. So, register for an IBS Expo+Education Pass and then mark these sessions on your calendar. For more information on all that IBS has to offer, please visit BuilderShow.com. We hope to see you there! Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

The International Builders’ Show: The Leading Economic Forecast Event of the Year Web Master2025-11-04T10:16:35-06:00

Custom Home Building Share Declines in 2024

Web Master2025-10-14T09:20:26-05:00

In 2024, 17.5% of all new single-family homes started were custom homes. This share decreased from 18.8% in 2023 and from 20.4% in 2022, according to data tabulated from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). The custom home market consists of contractor-built and owner-built homes—homes built for owner occupancy on the owner’s land, with either the owner or a builder acting as a general contractor. The alternatives are homes built-for-sale (on the builder’s land, often in subdivisions, with the intention of selling the house and land in one transaction) and homes built-for-rent. In 2024, 73.1% of the single-family homes started were built-for-sale and 9.3% were built-for-rent. At a 17.5% share, the number of custom homes started in 2024 was 176,932, falling from 177,850 in 2023. Quarterly statistics published by the Census Bureau for the second quarter of 2025 show year-over-year growth for custom home building amid broader single-family home building weakness. Although the quarterly statistics are timelier, they are often revised and lack the geographic detail available in the annual data set. When analyzed across the nine census divisions, the annual data show that the highest custom home share in 2024 was 41.2% in the New England division. The lowest share was in the West South-Central division at just 10.7%. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Custom Home Building Share Declines in 2024Web Master2025-10-14T09:20:26-05:00

Square Foot Prices Moderate in 2024

Web Master2025-10-02T08:19:47-05:00

Median square foot prices for new single-family detached (SFD) homes started in 2024 grew modestly, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest Survey of Construction (SOC) data. For custom, or contractor-built, homes, the median price was $166 per square foot of floor space1, up slightly from $162 in 2023. For spec starts, after excluding record-high improved lot values, the median was $153 per square foot of floor area, inching up from $150 a year earlier. There is still notable regional variation in square footage prices. In New England, after excluding lot values, half of the spec homes started in 2024 had prices exceeding $282 per square foot. In the East South Central division, the median was $133, representing the most affordable prices per square foot.Contract prices of custom homes do not include the value of an improved lot, as these homes are built on the owner’s land (with either the owner or a contractor acting as a general contractor). Consequently, contract prices are typically reported as lower than the sale prices of spec homes. To make the comparison more meaningful, the cost of lot development is excluded from sale prices in this analysis. The recent modest square foot price changes marked a sharp decline from the double-digit price hikes that characterized home building in the post-pandemic environment. As recently as 2022, increases in square foot prices of new SFD homes were approaching 20%, more than doubling the historically high U.S. inflation rate of 8%. The deceleration for median square foot prices reflects slower growth in building material prices and home building wages in 2024. The shifts towards cost-effective methods, such as building homes on slabs rather than with full or partial basements, also contributed to moderating the increases in square foot prices.In the for-sale market, the New England division registered the highest and fastest-rising median square foot prices. Half of the new for-sale SFD homes started here in 2024 were sold at prices exceeding $282 per square foot of floor area, paid on top of some of the most expensive lot values in the nation. The Pacific division came in second, with median prices of $223 per square foot. The most economical SFD spec homes were started in the South region, where the median sales price per square foot was below the national median of $153. The East South Central division is home to the least expensive for-sale homes. Half of all for-sale SFD homes started in the division in 2024 registered a square foot price of $140 or lower, paid on top of the most economical lot values in the country. The other two divisions in the South— South Central and South Atlantic—registered median prices of $144 and $147 per square foot, ranking them the second- and third-lowest medians in the nation. Because square foot prices in this analysis exclude the cost of developed lots, highly variable land values cannot account for regional differences in square footage prices. However, overly restrictive zoning, stricter building codes, and higher regulatory costs undoubtedly lead to higher per-square-foot prices. Regional differences in home types, common features, and construction materials also contribute to price variations. In the South, for example, lower square foot prices partially reflect a less frequent regional occurrence of costly new home features like basements. In the custom home market, new contractor-built SFD homes in the Northeast were more expensive to build. Half of custom SFD homes started in New England in 2024 registered prices greater than $190 per square foot of floor area. In the neighboring Middle Atlantic, the median custom home price was similarly high at $188 per square foot. The East North Central division came in close third, with a median of $186 per square foot of floor space. The East South Central and West South Central divisions are home to the most economical custom homes started in 2024, with half of the new custom homes registering prices at or below $129 and $138 per square foot of floor space, respectively. The remaining division in the South region — South Atlantic — recorded slightly higher median square foot contract prices of $155, still below the national median of $166. In the West, the Mountain division registered noticeable declines in square foot prices over the last two years, erasing a substantial portion of the post-pandemic double-digit annual hikes. Half of the custom SFD homes started here in 2024 had prices of $169 per square foot or higher. The corresponding median price in the neighboring Pacific was $167 per square foot. In comparison, during the post-pandemic home building boom, the median crossed the $200 mark for homes started in 2022 in the Mountain Division. Typically, when excluding improved lot values, contractor-built custom homes are more expensive per square foot than for-sale homes. Over the last two decades, this custom home premium averaged slightly above 9%, suggesting that new custom home buyers are not only willing to wait longer to move into a new home but also pay extra for pricier features and materials. However, these custom home premiums (see the chart below) largely disappeared in the post-pandemic environment marked by supply chain disruptions, soaring building materials costs, and home prices hitting new highs each month. In the last two years, the custom home premium returned to historic norms, indicating that the post-pandemic trend has reversed, and custom home buyers are once again willing to pay more for higher-end features and materials. The NAHB estimates in this post are based on the Survey of Construction (SOC) data. The survey information comes from interviews with builders and owners of the selected new houses. The reported prices are medians, meaning that half of all builders reported higher square foot prices, and the other half reported prices lower than the median. While the reported median prices cannot reflect the price variability within a division, and even less so within a metro area, they, nevertheless, highlight the regional differences in square foot prices. For the square footage statistics, the SOC uses all completely finished floor space, including space in basements and attics with finished walls, floors, and ceilings. This does not include a garage, carport, porch, unfinished attic, utility room, or any unfinished area of the basement. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Square Foot Prices Moderate in 2024Web Master2025-10-02T08:19:47-05:00

Share of New Homes with Patios Edges Down for First Time in Fifteen Years

Web Master2025-09-09T10:16:12-05:00

For the first time in 15 years, the share of new homes with patios finally declined in 2024, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau with partial funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development). Of the roughly 1.0 million single-family homes started during the year, 61.8% came with patios. This is down from 63.7% in 2024 and marks the lowest the percentage has been since 2020. Historically, fewer than half of new homes came with patios during the 2008-2011 period of extreme weakness in the housing market. But soon thereafter, the share jumped to 52.4% in 2012 and has been climbing ever since. The percentage increased every year from 2012 through 2023 (except in 2015, when it was unchanged before the dip in 2024. Historically, fewer than half of new homes came with patios during the 2008-2011 period of extreme weakness in the housing market. But soon thereafter, the share jumped to 52.4% in 2012 and has been climbing ever since. The percentage increased every year from 2012 through 2023 (except in 2015, when it was unchanged before the dip in 2024. During this period, the broad geographic distribution of new homes with porches has remained relatively consistent. At the low end of the scale, only 14% percent of new single-family homes built in New England and 23% in the Middle Atlantic came with patios in 2024. At the high end, the incidence of patios on new homes was over 80% in the West South Central and around 70% in the South Atlantic and Mountain divisions. Additional detail on the characteristics of new-home patios is available from the Annual Builder Practices Survey (BPS) conducted by Home Innovation Research Labs. For the U.S. as a whole, the 2025 BPS report (based on homes built in 2024, like the SOC-based statistics cited above) shows that the average size of a new-home patio is about 320 square feet, but with considerable geographic variation. The average is over 400 square feet in the adjacent East North Central and East South Central divisions. New home patios are considerably smaller on the other side of the Mississippi River, with an average size of under 200 square feet in the West South Central, and only a little over 200 square feet in the West North Central division. In most parts of the country, poured concrete dominates all other building materials used in new-home patios. Across the entire country, poured concrete accounts for over 60% of new-home patios on a square-foot basis. The major counter-example is the New England division, where builders use concrete pavers and natural stone more often than poured concrete. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Share of New Homes with Patios Edges Down for First Time in Fifteen YearsWeb Master2025-09-09T10:16:12-05:00

NAHB HBGI: Relative Gains for Smaller Markets, Particularly for Multifamily

Web Master2025-09-02T09:21:24-05:00

Single-family construction declined in the second quarter of 2025 for almost all tracked markets, according to the NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI). Meanwhile, multifamily construction continued to expand in low population density markets, which have shown remarkable strength due to for-sale affordability challenges. The HBGI tracks single-family and multifamily permits across seven population density delineated geographies in the United States. Single-Family Home Building Among the HBGI markets, growth in the second quarter of 2025 was only registered in micro counties, which increased 1.8% year-over-year on a four-quarter moving average basis (4QMA). Most markets reported declines, with the largest occurring in large metro suburban counties, posting a decline of 3.8%. The drop in growth across the markets remains high, as five markets had single-family growth near 15% just one year ago. In terms of market share, single-family construction’s largest geography was small metro core county areas, representing 29.3% of single-family construction. The smallest single-family construction market remained non metro/micro county areas, with a 4.3% market share. As the largest declines in single-family construction over the past year occurred in large metro areas, smaller population and less densely populated counties have gained single-family construction market share. The combined market share of these smaller areas (excluding large metro areas), reached its highest level since the first quarter of 2023 (50.3%), marking 50.2% in the second quarter. Multifamily Home Building The largest gains for multifamily construction occurred in small metro outlying counties, growing 22.1% (4QMA) in the second quarter. This was the first time that small metro outlying counties had the largest gain among geographies since the second quarter of 2022, when it rose 29.6%. The largest decline was in large metro core counties declining 12.3%. The market share of multifamily construction for smaller markets has continued to climb since the pandemic. The loss in market share for large metro core counties, which continues to make up the bulk of multifamily construction, has mostly been absorbed by small metro core counties. The market share for small metro core counties is up 4.3 percentage points from the first quarter of 2020 to 24.9%. If this trend continues, small metro core counties could overtake large metro suburban counties for the second highest market share in the multifamily construction market as the gap between the two continues to shrink. The second quarter of 2025 HBGI data along with an interactive HBGI map can be found at http://nahb.org/hbgi. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

NAHB HBGI: Relative Gains for Smaller Markets, Particularly for MultifamilyWeb Master2025-09-02T09:21:24-05:00

Most Home Builders are Small Businesses

Web Master2025-08-27T08:27:22-05:00

Despite historically low self-employment rates and the rising market share of top ten builders, residential construction remains an industry dominated by independent entrepreneurs, with nearly 80% of home builders and specialty trade contractor firms being self-employed independent contractors. Even among firms with paid employees, the industry continues to be dominated by small businesses, with 63% of homebuilders and two out of three specialty trade contractors generating less than one million dollars in total business receipts. The new estimates are based on the 2022 Economic Census and Nonemployer Statistics data.1The Economic Census covers several construction subsectors that comprise the home building industry: Residential Building Construction (RBC) – Single-family general contractors (except for-sale builders) – Multifamily general contractors (except for-sale builders) – New housing for-sale builders Residential Remodelers Land Subdivision (or land developers) Specialty Trade Contractors (STC) The 2022 statistics show that the majority of residential construction businesses are self-employed independent contractors. There are over 813,000 nonemployer firms in residential building construction (RBC), accounting for close to 80% of all establishments. In land subdivision, more than 9,000 independent contractors account for 68% of land subdivision firms. Over 1.9 million specialty trade independent contractors make up 79% of all STC establishments. These nonemployer firms also account for almost half of the full-time employees (FTE) in residential building construction, 26% in land subdivision, and 28% in STC. Most of these self-employed mom-and-pop firms are very small, with annual receipts averaging under $103,000 for residential building construction, and under $70,000 for specialty trade contractors. Self-employed independent contractors in land subdivision average around $288,000 in annual business receipts. As a result, these nonemployer firms make up only 12% of all sales and receipts generated by residential building construction and land subdivision, and 9% of specialty trade contractors’ revenue. Among residential construction businesses with paid employees, remodeling, land subdivision, and specialty trade subcontractors (STC) companies tend to be smaller. Three out of four remodeling establishments, 63% of land developers, and 59% of STC companies generate under $1 million in receipts. Home builders are typically somewhat larger, with about 45% of companies reporting annual sales over $1 million. Among homebuilders, multifamily general contractors tend to be the largest. However, the Census Bureau did not disclose the number of the largest (with revenue over $100 million) and smallest (with revenue under $100K) multifamily and single-family custom builders in 2022. As a result, the revenue spectrum for MF and SF contractors is incomplete and is presented in a separate chart. Multifamily contractors are typically larger compared to single-family contractors and for-sale builders (who build on land they own and control). Ten percent of multifamily contractors reported annual sales between $10 million and 25 million, and an additional 11% earned between $25 million and $100 million in 2022. Under the most recent U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards, the vast majority of residential construction companies qualify as small businesses. The most recent small business size limits for all types of builders are $45 million, $34 million for land subdivision, and $19 million for specialty trade contractors. By these standards, almost all remodelers and single-family contractors, and at least 98% of land developers, and 96% of specialty trade contractors, easily qualify as small businesses. The Economic Census, like many other federal statistics programs, collects data only on establishments with payroll employees. The Nonemployer Statistics Program by the Census Bureau collects annual data for businesses that have no paid employees, including the number of businesses and total receipts by industry, which largely come from the IRS. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Most Home Builders are Small BusinessesWeb Master2025-08-27T08:27:22-05:00

Single-Family Home Size: 2Q25 Data

Web Master2025-08-22T12:19:51-05:00

An expected impact of the virus crisis was a need for more residential space, as people used homes for more purposes including work. Home size correspondingly increased in 2021 as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower. According to second quarter 2025 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area was 2,125 square feet, a decline from the start of the year. Average (mean) square footage for new single-family homes registered at 2,364 square feet. The average size of a new single-family home, on a one-year moving average basis, was flat at 2,386 square feet, while the median size declined to 2,162 square feet. Home size increased from 2009 to 2015 as entry-level new construction lost market share. Home size declined between 2016 and 2020 as more starter homes were developed. After a brief increase during the post-COVID building boom, home size has trended lower due to declining affordability conditions. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Single-Family Home Size: 2Q25 DataWeb Master2025-08-22T12:19:51-05:00

Retreat for Single-Family Built-for-Rent Housing

Web Master2025-08-20T11:14:43-05:00

Single-family built-for-rent construction fell back in the second quarter, as a higher cost of financing crowded out development activity. According to NAHB’s analysis of data from the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, there were approximately 12,000 single-family built-for-rent (SFBFR) starts during the second quarter of 2025. This is down significantly relative to the second quarter of 2024 (25,000 starts). Over the last four quarters, 71,000 such homes began construction, which is a 16% decrease compared to the 85,000 estimated SFBFR starts in the four quarters prior to that period. The SFBFR market is a source of inventory amid challenges over housing affordability and downpayment requirements in the for-sale market, particularly during a period when a growing number of people want more space and a single-family structure. Single-family built-for-rent construction differs in terms of structural characteristics compared to other newly-built single-family homes, particularly with respect to home size. However, investor demand for single-family homes, both existing and new, has cooled with higher interest rates. Given the relatively small size of this market segment, the quarter-to-quarter movements typically are not statistically significant. The current four-quarter moving average of market share (7%) is nonetheless higher than the historical average of 2.7% (1992-2012). Importantly, as measured for this analysis, the estimates noted above include only homes built and held by the builder for rental purposes. The estimates exclude homes that are sold to another party for rental purposes, which NAHB estimates may represent another three to five percent of single-family starts based on industry surveys. The Census data notes an elevated share of single-family homes built as condos (non-fee simple), with this share averaging more than 4% over recent quarters. Some, but certainly not all, of these homes will be used for rental purposes. Additionally, it is theoretically possible some single-family built-for-rent units are being counted in multifamily starts, as a form of “horizontal multifamily,” given these units are often built on a single plat of land. However, spot checks by NAHB with permitting offices indicate no evidence of this data issue occurring. With the onset of the Great Recession and declines for the homeownership rate, the share of built-for-rent homes increased in the years after the recession. While the market share of SFBFR homes is small, it has clearly expanded. Given affordability challenges in the for-sale market, the SFBFR market will likely retain an elevated market share. However, in the near-term, SFBFR construction is likely to slow until the return on new deals improves. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Retreat for Single-Family Built-for-Rent HousingWeb Master2025-08-20T11:14:43-05:00

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