survey of construction Archives - Hillwood Loves Realtor

Single-Family Homes Are Built Faster in 2024

Na Zhao2025-09-22T09:15:57-05:00

Building a new single-family home took less time in 2024 compared to the previous two years. On average, it now takes 9.1 months from start to finish. That includes 1.4 months for authorization to start construction and another 7.6 months to finish construction. Data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction shows that single-family construction timelines have shortened as supply chain challenges have eased after the pandemic. However, it is still almost two months longer than the average completion time in 2015. The extra time is largely attributable to a more stringent regulatory environment, elevated mortgage rates, and a shortage of skilled labor. Among all single-family houses completed in 2024, homes built for sale required the shortest amount of time, 7.6 months from obtaining building permits to completion. Meanwhile, homes built by owners required the longest time, 15.1 months. Homes built by hired contractors took about 12 months, and homes built-for-rent took about 12.5 months from authorization to completion. The chart below illustrates that permit-to-completion time differs across home sizes. The smallest single-family homes, under 1,200 sq. ft., required 14.2 months to finish, relatively longer than every other size homes except those over 5,999 sq. ft. This prolonged period is primarily because half of these smaller homes are constructed specifically for rental purposes, which typically takes longer building time from authorization. In contrast, homes ranging from 1,200 to 3,999 sq. ft. are built at the average building time, typically around 9 months. As the size increases beyond 4,000 sq. ft., there is a noticeable upward trend in completion times. Homes with 4,000-4,999 sq. ft. take about 10.7 months, while those between 5,000- 5,999 sq. ft. extend to around 14 months. Homes over 6,000 sq. ft. take the longest to build, requiring almost 16 months from permit to finish. The average time from authorization to completion also varies across divisions. The division with the longest duration was the Middle Atlantic (13.7 months), followed by New England (13.1 months), the Pacific division (10.8 months), the Mountain division (10 months), and the East North Central division (9.4 months) in 2024. These five divisions exceeded the nation’s average of 9.1 months. The shortest period, 7.8 months, is registered in the South Atlantic division. The average waiting period from permit to construction start varies from the shortest time of 0.9 months in the East North Central to the longest of 2.1 months in the Pacific division. The SOC also collects additional information for houses built for sale, including a sale date when buyers sign sale contracts or make a deposit. Looking at single-family homes built for sale and completed in 2024, 15.2% were sold before construction started, 33% sold while under construction, 17% sold during the month of completion, and 27% sold after completion. The share of completed houses remaining unsold was 7.8% at point of survey. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Single-Family Homes Are Built Faster in 2024Na Zhao2025-09-22T09:15:57-05:00

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

Paul Emrath2025-09-09T10:16:12-05:00

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 YearsPaul Emrath2025-09-09T10:16:12-05:00

Market Share for Modular and Other Non-Site Built Housing in 2024

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington2025-08-11T09:17:25-05:00

The total market share of non-site built single-family homes (modular and panelized) was just 3% of single-family homes in 2024, according to completion data from the Census Bureau Survey of Construction data and NAHB analysis. This is the same as the 3% share in 2023. This share has been steadily declining since the early-2000s despite the high-level of interest for non-site built construction. This low market share in fact runs counter to some media commentary on off-site construction suggesting recent gains. Nonetheless, there exists potential for market share gains in the years ahead due to the need to increase productivity in the residential construction sector. In 2024, there were 28,000 total single-family units built using modular (13,000) and panelized/pre-cut (15,000) construction methods, out of a total of 1,019,000 single-family homes completed. It is worth noting that the Census definitions of off-site construction are relatively narrow. In a separate survey, the Home Innovation Research Labs Survey of U.S. Home Builders has a higher share for panelized construction (5-12%) due to a wider definition of “panelized” construction. While the Census-measured market share is small, there exists potential for expansion. This 3% market share for 2024 represents a decline from years prior to the Great Recession. In 1998, 7% of single-family completions were modular (4%) or panelized (3%). This marked the largest share for the 1992-2024 period. One notable regional concentration is found in the Midwest and the Northeast. These two regions have the highest market share of homes built using non-site build methods. In the Midwest, 7% (8,000 homes) of the region’s 136,000 housing units were completed using these methods. In the Northeast, 5% (3,000 homes) of the region’s 66,000 housing units were completed using non-site build methods. However, numerically, the South continues to be the biggest market for this type of construction where 13,000 homes were built using non-site build methods. With respect to multifamily construction, approximately 3% of multifamily buildings (properties, not units) were built using modular and panelized methods. This is significantly lower than the 7% share in 2023 but on par with the average for the last 5 years. It is notable that modular construction method accounted for 2% of this share. In previous years it was only panelized construction methods that made up the higher share of non-site build methods in multifamily construction. Prior to last year, the highest levels of modular and panelized methods share in multifamily construction was in 2000 and 2011, where 5% of multifamily buildings were constructed with modular (1%) or panelized construction methods (4%). Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Market Share for Modular and Other Non-Site Built Housing in 2024Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington2025-08-11T09:17:25-05:00

Foundation Types in 2024: Slabs Continue to Rise, Crawl Spaces Decline

Catherine Koh2025-08-08T14:16:32-05:00

In 2024, 73% of new single-family homes started were built on slab foundations, according to NAHB analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). Although this was a modest year-over-year increase of 0.6 percentage points, it continues the upward trend in slab adoption, widening the gap between slabs and other foundation types. In comparison, basements (full or partial) accounted for 17% of new homes, while crawl spaces made up just 9.2%. Foundation type continues to follow regional climate patterns. In colder northern divisions, where foundations to extend below the frost line, basements are more common. In 2024, the majority of homes in New England (67.2%), West North Central (62.3%), East North Central (50.3%), and the Middle Atlantic (48.8%) were built with full or partial basements. Among these, East North Central (1,119 sq. ft.) and the Middle Atlantic (1,113 sq. ft.) had the largest average finished basement areas, both exceeding the national average of 1,112 sq. ft. West North Central followed with 940 sq. ft., and New England averaged 810 sq. ft. In contrast, warmer regions favor slab foundations for their affordability and efficiency. Nearly all new single-family homes in West South Central (97.9%), Pacific (89.9%), and South Atlantic (85.7%) divisions were built on slabs in 2024. The cost advantages of slabs have also led to increased adoption in some northern divisions – especially post-pandemic, as rising material costs and supply chain disruptions pushed builders to prioritize cost-effective construction methods. Crawl space foundations have seen a long-term decline. While East South Central and Pacific divisions have historically led in crawl space usage, both have experienced noticeable decreases, particularly the Pacific, which saw a sharp drop in the past decade. Interestingly, the Mountain division has seen a gradual rebound in crawl space use, now ranking second in crawl space share. Meanwhile, divisions such as East North Central, New England, and West South Central have consistently maintained shares of new homes started below 10%, reflecting persistent regional preferences. Notably, the West North Central division surpassed the 10% threshold in 2024 after several years of incremental growth, although it remains unclear whether this marks a lasting shift or a one-time fluctuation. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Foundation Types in 2024: Slabs Continue to Rise, Crawl Spaces DeclineCatherine Koh2025-08-08T14:16:32-05:00

Market Share of 5,000+ Square Foot New Homes Started Declines in 2024

Ashok Chaluvadi2025-07-25T08:16:37-05:00

In 2024, there were 24,000 homes that exceeded 5,000 square feet, equating to a 2.3% market share of all new homes started. Both the number and market share for 5,000+ square foot homes experienced declines from 2023, according to the annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). The number of homes started in 2024 exceeding 5,000 square feet dropped to 24,000, a decrease from 26,000 in 2023. In 2006, the number of new 5,000+ square foot homes reached a peak of 45,000. This number proceeded to drop during the Great Recession and hit a low of 11,000 in 2009. Since 2013, the number has remained consistently above 20,000, with a recent peak of 33,000 in 2021. Of the total number of new homes started in 2024, 2.3% had 5,000+ square feet or more of finished space, down from 2.8% in 2023. The decline marks the third consecutive drop in the share of homes this size, down from a recent peak of 2.9% in 2021. In 2015, the 5,000+ square foot share reached a record high of 3.9%. Since then, it has fluctuated between 2.3% and 3.1%. Tabulating the major characteristics of 5,000+ square foot homes started in 2024, the data show 83% have a porch, 79% have a finished basement, 71% have a patio, 69% have four or more bathrooms, 66% have a 3-or-more car garage, 54% have five bedrooms or more, and 50% belong to a community association. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Market Share of 5,000+ Square Foot New Homes Started Declines in 2024Ashok Chaluvadi2025-07-25T08:16:37-05:00

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