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The Most Time-Consuming Stage of Single-family Construction – Eye On Housing

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Interior finishes (drywall, interior doors, painting, cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures, flooring, etc.) take more time to complete—6.4 weeks, on average—than any other major stage of single-family construction, according to results from the latest NAHB/Well Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) survey.

The October 2026 HMI survey asked builders how long it takes to complete each of the seven major stages of construction traditionally used in NAHB’s construction cost surveys. The survey covers the steps a builder typically takes after purchasing a finished lot in the leading case of a single-family detached home built for sale.

After interior finishes, framing and major systems rough-ins (HVAC and plumbing/electrical other than fixtures) consume the most time: 3.7 weeks each. Final steps (landscaping, outdoor structures and clean-up) require 3.6 weeks, and exterior finishes (siding, roofing, windows & doors) require 3.4. The earliest stages of the construction process, site work and foundations, require the least amount of time—a little over two weeks each, on average.

The most time-consuming stages of construction are also in general the costliest. In NAHB’s latest construction cost survey, for example, interior finishes account for over 24% of the builder’s construction costs, significantly more than any other stage of construction and roughly proportional to the amount of time that stage consumes in the overall construction process. Final steps, however, break this general rule by being the least expensive stage of construction but consuming a disproportionately large amount of construction time. The complete cost breakdown by stage of construction, along with a more detailed description of each stage, is available in Cost of Constructing a Home-2024.

In total, NAHB’s October 2026 HMI survey shows that it takes 25.3 weeks (about 5.8 months) to build the average single-family detached home, close to the average time of 6.1 months from start to completion reported by the Census Bureau for a single-family home built for sale in 2025. The Census estimates show that custom homes (e.g., contractor-built homes built one at a time on the home owner’s lot, and owner-built homes where the owner functions as the general contractor) take significantly more time to complete. Moreover, these numbers are averages, and it’s important to remember that the time it takes to build a particular home will vary based on geography and characteristics of the home and its builder.

The Census Bureau’s time-to-completion estimate is based on a considerably larger and more intricately stratified sample than the one from NAHB. Hence, the Census estimate is the one you would use if you’re interested simply in total construction time for a single-family home.

NAHB’s new 25.3-week time-to-completion estimate, however, has the obvious advantage of breaking down the time by stage of construction. The extra detail may be useful to a builder who wants to educate customers, decide when to purchase building materials, schedule inspections, or manage subcontractors.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

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Single-Family Starts Down as Affordability Challenges Persist – Eye On Housing

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Single-family housing starts declined in September as builders faced higher financing, building material costs, and ongoing labor shortages.

Overall housing starts decreased 5.2% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.22 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau. This pace reflects the number of housing units builders would begin over the next 12 months if September’s activity were sustained.

Within the total, single-family starts decreased 4.6% to an 859,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, the lowest level in a year. However, single-family starts were up 2.6% compared to September 2025. On a year-to-date basis, single-family starts are down 4.0%, reflecting continued challenges facing home builders. Given recent volatility, the three-month moving average provides a clearer signal, falling to 878,000 units.

Multifamily starts, which include apartment buildings and condominiums, decreased 6.7% from August to September to an annualized 362,000 pace. The three-month moving average for multifamily construction has trended lower to 415,000 units, and activity is 24.9% lower compared to year-earlier levels.

Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, combined single-family and multifamily starts were 8.3% higher in the Northeast, 0.3% lower in the South, 2.0% lower in the Midwest, and 6.3% lower in the West. Single-family starts declined across all four regions, reflecting ongoing challenges amid elevated construction costs and persistent housing affordability pressures.

The total number of housing units under construction stood at 1.28 million in September, down 3.3% from a year earlier. Single-family homes under construction stood at 587,000 units, a 2.8% year-over-year decline. Multifamily units under construction slowed to 693,000 units, down from peaks above 1 million units in December 2023 and 3.6% lower than a year ago.

Single-family completions slowed to an annualized rate of about 840,000 units, down 11.0% from a year earlier. Multifamily completions for buildings with five or more units declined 20.4% year over year to a 339,000-unit pace. On a year-to-date basis, total completions across both sectors was down 12.5%.

Looking ahead, overall permits edged down 0.2% in September to an annualized rate of 1.4 million units. Single-family permits declined 4.0% to an 845,000-unit rate and are down 4.8% compared to September 2025. Multifamily permits increased 6.1% to an annualized 555,000 pace but are down 0.2% from a year earlier. Looking at regional permit data on a year-to-date basis, total permits were 10.6% higher in the Northeast, 2.2% higher in the Midwest, but 3.2% lower in the South. Permit activity in the West was unchanged. For single-family permits, the Midwest was the only region to post an increase, rising 1.2%, reflecting relative strength in that region’s residential construction market.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

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Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August – Eye On Housing

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Single-family permitting activity continued to soften through the first eight months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year. Regional and state-level trends show continued variation in permitting activity, reflecting differences in housing demand, affordability conditions, and local market dynamics.

Over the first eight months of the year, the number of single-family permits issued nationwide reached 620,558. Compared with the same period in 2025, this represents a 2.6% decline from the August 2025 total of 637,096. In contrast, multifamily permitting activity remained stronger, with 347,629 permits issued nationwide, marking a 5.1% increase compared with the same period last year.

Regionally, year-to-date single-family permitting declined in three out of the four regions through August. The Midwest was the only region to post an increase, with single-family permits rising 2.0%. The South declined 2.0%, the West fell 5.2%, and the Northeast posted the largest decline, at 9.4%. Multifamily permits increased in three of the four regions, led by the Northeast (31.0%), followed by the West (14.3%), and the Midwest (2.7%). The South was the only region to post a decline, with multifamily permits falling 5.6%, driven largely by reduced permitting activity in major metropolitan areas across the region.

At the state level, 23 states and the District of Columbia recorded increases in single-family permits compared with the same period last year, with gains ranging from 65.6% in the District of Columbia to 0.2% in Oklahoma. The remaining 27 states posted declines. Nevada recorded the steepest decline, with single-family permits falling 26.3%.

The ten states issued the highest number of single-family permits accounted for 62.4% of all single-family permits issued nationwide. Texas led the nation with 98,378 permits issued through August 2026, although this represented a 3.4% decline from the same period in 2025. Florida, the second-highest state, recorded a 1.3% decline, while North Carolina, ranking third, posted a 7.5% decrease.

Through August, 26 states and the District of Columbia recorded increases in multifamily building permits, while 24 states experienced declines. Alabama posted the largest percentage increase, with multifamily permits rising 76.3%, from 1,227 to 2,163 units. In contrast, Louisiana recorded the steepest decline, with permits falling 65.5%, from 2,400 to 829 units.

The ten states issued the highest number of multifamily permits accounted for 60.9% of all multifamily permits issued nationwide. Through the first eight months of 2026, Texas, which issued the largest number of multifamily permits, posted a 17.2% decline compared with the same period last year. California, the second-highest state, recorded a 25.5% increase, while Florida, ranking third, saw multifamily permits decrease by 28.1%.

At the local level, the following are the ten metropolitan areas with the highest number of single-family permits issued.

Below are the ten metropolitan areas with the highest levels of multifamily permitting activity.



This article was originally published by a eyeonhousing.org . Read the Original article here. .

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Private Water and Sewer Systems in 2025 New Single-Family Homes – Eye On Housing

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The share of new single-family homes built with individual wells and septic systems increased in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), approximately 10% of single-family homes started in 2025 were served by individual (private) wells, and 17% relied on individual septic systems.

Nationally, most new homes were connected to public water systems, which include community or shared supplies/wells. The remaining 10% were built with private wells, increasing one percentage point from the previous year.

The share of private wells significantly differed by Census division.  In New England, where median lot size is double the national median, 42% of new single-family homes relied on private wells, making it the division with the highest rate in the nation. The East North Central division followed with 26%, while the Middle Atlantic stood at 15%. The South Atlantic region also exceeded the national average, with 13% of new homes using private wells. In stark contrast, private wells were uncommon in the East South Central, West South Central and Pacific divisions, where they accounted for one to two percent of new homes started.

For sewage disposal, 83% of new single-family homes in 2025 were connected to public sewer systems, which include community or shared sewage/septic systems. The remaining 17% utilized individual septic systems, one percentage point higher than the previous year. As with private wells, the usage of individual septic systems varied significantly by region.

New England led the nation with 52% of new homes using individual septic systems.  The East South Central (33%), East North Central (27%), and South Atlantic (23%) divisions also reported shares above the national average. In contrast, lower usage was recorded in the Mountain (9%) and West North Central (9%) divisions, while the Pacific and West South Central divisions had the smallest shares, at 5%, respectively.

Compared to 2024, five of the nine Census divisions experienced an increase in the use of individual septic systems with four of the divisions falling below the national average of 17%. East South Central in particular saw a large increase of 8-percentage points as it surpassed East North Central as the division with the second largest share of individual septic systems. New England remained the largest shareholder with 52%, a 3-percentage point increase. Only Pacific and East North Central saw declines in shares of 2- and 1-percentage points, respectively.



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Single-Family Detached Homes Still Dominate Among the 55+ Population – Eye On Housing

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Adults ages 55 and older make up a large and growing share of the U.S. population and play an important role in the U.S. housing market. In 2024, around 103 million Americans were ages 55 or older, ranging from adults still in the labor force to retirees. Using data from the latest American Community Survey, this analysis shows the demographic and housing characteristics of the 55+ population.

Among the 55+ population, adults 55-64 accounted for the largest share, at 40.5%. Another 34.6% were ages 65-74, followed by ages 75-84 at 18.8%. Adults 85 and older stood at about 6.3 million, representing 6.2% of the 55+ population. Overall, 60.9% of adults ages 55 and older were not in the labor force, while 37.9% were employed and 1.2% were unemployed. This reflects the large share of older adults who have transitioned out of employment as they move into retirement.

Single-family detached homes are the most common living arrangements for the 55+ population, but the pattern changes with age. More than 72% of adults ages 55-64 and 65-74 lived in single-family detached homes, compared with about 70% of those ages 75-84, and 58% of adults 85 and older. At the same time, multifamily housing becomes more common at older ages, rising from about 15% among adults ages 55-74, to 22.2% among those 85 and older. The shares living in group quarters also increased sharply with age, from less than 2% among adults ages 55-74 to 9.7% among those 85 and older.

Looking more closely at the housing stock occupied by the 55+ population, the analysis next focuses on households headed by someone 55 or older. In 2024, these households occupied about 61.5 million housing units, accounting for 46.3% of all occupied housing units. Homeownership was widespread among these households, with 78% owner-occupied and 22% renter-occupied. Households headed by someone 55 or older accounted for about 55% of all owner-occupied homes, showing their substantial presence in the nation’s housing stock.

Among homeowners 55 and older, 55% owned their homes free and clear, while 44.8% had a mortgage or other housing loan. Moreover, mortgage-free homeownership also increases with age. About 41% of homeowners ages 55-64 owned their home free and clear, compared with 58% of those ages 65-74, 69% of those ages 75-84, and 82% of homeowners age 85 and older. On the other hand, the share of homeowners with a mortgage or loan fell from nearly 59% among ages 55-64 to about 18% among those age 85 and older.

Around half of homeowners 55 or older lived in homes built before 1980, including 24.5% in homes built between 1960 and 1979 and 25.4% in homes built before 1960. Homes built between 1980 and 1999 accounted for the largest share, at 27.4%, while only 22.6% of older households lived in homes built after 2000. This concentration of older homeowners in relatively aging housing stock signals a growing market for remodeling, maintenance and aging-in-place improvements.

Long residential duration was also common among homeowners 55 or older, showing the substantial share of aging in place among older Americans. Overall, around 29% of homeowners had lived in their current home for 30 years or more, while another 23% had lived in their home for 20 to 29 years. Length of residence increased with the age of the homeowner. Among homeowners ages 55-64, 14% had lived in their current home for at least 30 years. This share rose to 32% among homeowners ages 65-74, 43% among those ages 75-84, and 56% among homeowners ages 85 and older.

Older homeowners typically reported lower values for their homes The share reporting home values below $200,000 increased steadily with age, from 24.0% among homeowners ages 55–64 to 29.9% among those age 85 and older. By contrast, the share reporting values of $500,000 or more generally declined with age. Among homeowners ages 55–64, 33.2% reported home values of at least $500,000, compared with 26.6% of homeowners age 85 and older. Although reported home values tended to be lower at older ages, older homeowners were also much more likely to own their homes free and clear. As a result, many continued to hold substantial housing assets even at advanced ages.

Housing cost burdens[1] were generally manageable for homeowners 55 and over, but severe housing cost burdens increased at advanced ages. Overall, about 75% of the households headed by the 55+ population spent less than 30% of their household income on housing cost, while 12.8% spent between 30% and 49.9% and 12% spent 50% or more. The share of severely cost-burdened households, those spending at least half of their income on housing, increased steadily with age, from 9.6% among householders ages 55–64 to 12.3% among those ages 65–74, 14.3% among those ages 75–84, and 18.0% among householders age 85 and older. This pattern coincided with substantially lower household incomes at older ages, as labor force participation and employment rates tend to decline with age. Median household income for homeowners declined from about $105,700 for homeowners ages 55–64 to $45,800 for those age 85 or older.

Taken together, the data show that a large share of the 55+ population stayed in single-family detached homes, while multifamily housing and group quarters became more common among the oldest adults. At the same time, long residential tenure, high rates of mortgage-free home ownership, and the large share of older households in aging housing stock show the importance of remodeling and aging-in-place solutions as the 55+ population continues to grow.

[1] Housing cost burden calculation is for homeowners who report their household income.



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Number of Bathrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2025 – Eye On Housing

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Single-family homes started construction in 2025 typically had two full bathrooms, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Construction.

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. Homes with two full bathrooms continued to have the largest share of starts followed by homes with three full bathrooms. Homes with four full bathrooms or more and homes with one bathroom or less made up under ten percent of starts each.

In 2025, 63.5% of new single-family homes started had two full bathrooms, down from 65.0% a year earlier. The share of single-family starts with three full bathrooms rose to 23.8%, up from 23.3%. The share of single-family starts with four or more bathrooms increased to 7.8% while the share of homes started with one bathroom or less rose to its highest level since 2012, reaching 4.9%.

Across the U.S., the East South Central division had the highest share at 70.2% of new single-family starts having two full bathrooms, no other division had above a 70% share. The lowest share Census division was the Pacific, with 55.0% of new single-family starts reporting two full bathrooms.

Half-Bathrooms

Most single-family homes started in 2025 had no half-bathrooms at 54.1%. Following closely is the share of new single-family homes with one half-bathroom at 44.4%. New single-family starts with two or more half-bathrooms had a small share of 1.5% in 2025. 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 2025, 66.3% of new single-family homes started in the New England division had at least one half-bathroom. The lowest share occurred in the East South Central division, where only 34.0% of starts had at least one half-bathroom.



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Bedrooms in New Single-Family Homes in 2025 – Eye On Housing

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Three-bedroom single-family homes remained the most common home built with respect to the number of bedrooms. The share of starts for four-bedroom homes declined for the fourth consecutive year but remained well above the shares for two-bedroom or less and five-bedroom or more homes.

Despite three-bedroom homes remaining the most common for new single-family starts, their share edged down to 46.5% from 47.0% in 2024. Four-bedroom homes also declined, falling to 31.7% from 32.4%, the lowest level since 2010. Meanwhile, homes with two bedrooms or less increased to 11.5% from 11.4%, while those with five bedrooms or more rose to 10.3% from 9.2%.

U.S. Divisions

Across U.S. Census Divisions, the share of new single-family homes with four or more bedrooms displays geographic variation. The share ranged from a low of 28.1% in the New England and East North Central division to the highest share of 49.3% in the West South Central division.

Purpose of Construction

The number of bedrooms in new homes also varies depending on the purpose of construction (built-for-sale, contractor-built, owner-built, built-for-rent). Most of this variation comes from the two-bedroom or less homes and four-bedrooms homes. For example, the share of new single-family homes with two bedrooms or less ranges from 6.2% of homes built-for-sale to 32.5% of homes owner-built. Meanwhile, three-bedroom homes and five or more-bedroom homes display relatively little change across purpose of construction. Five or more-bedrooms homes held the smallest share of starts across purpose of construction for all types except for built-for-sale homes.



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Wood Framing Continues to Dominate Single-Family Construction – Eye On Housing

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Wood framing continues to dominate the U.S. single-family home construction market, according to NAHB analysis of 2025 Census Bureau data. In 2025, wood framing accounted for 94% of all completed single-family homes, maintaining its position as the leading construction method. Concrete-framed homes represented 5% of completions, while steel-framed homes remained relatively rare, comprising half a percent of the market.

On a count basis, approximately 947,000 wood-framed homes were completed in 2025. This was a 1% decrease compared to the 2024 total. Despite the decline in the number of wood-framed homes, the wood-framed market share remained unchanged at 94% in 2025. Steel-framed homes, while still uncommon, continued to increase. About 5,000 steel-framed homes were completed in 2025, representing a 25% increase from the previous year.

Meanwhile, concrete-framed homes also experienced a decline. The concrete market share remained at 5% in 2025, while the number of concrete-framed homes completed fell to approximately 53,000, a 4% decrease compared to the prior year. Non-wood-based framing methods are primarily concentrated in the South due to residential resiliency requirements. In 2025, concrete-framed homes made up 9% of all single-family home completions in the South. Additionally, about 60% of all steel-framed homes completed in 2025 were built in the South, highlighting the region’s distinct building trends.



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Single-Family Starts Rebound but Market Challenges Persist – Eye On Housing

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Single-family housing starts rebounded in August, but production remains down 4.7% year to date as builders contend with rising construction costs, lot and labor shortages, and economic uncertainty.

Overall housing starts decreased 2.6% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.28 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This pace reflects the number of housing units builders would begin over the next 12 months if August’s activity were sustained.

Within this overall number, single-family starts increased 7.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 918,000 units and were up 5.2% from August 2025. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, decreased 21.7% to an annualized 357,000 pace and was down 14.6% from a year earlier.

Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, combined single-family and multifamily starts were 10% higher in the Northeast, 0.4% lower in the Midwest, 2.4% lower in the South, and 3% lower in the West.

Overall permits decreased 2.7% to a 1.39-million-unit annualized rate in August. Single-family permits decreased 1.8% to an 878,000-unit rate but were up 1.3% compared to August 2025. Multifamily permits decreased 4.3% to an annualized 516,000 pace but were up 7.5% from a year earlier.

Looking at regional permit data on a year-to-date basis, total permits were 12.5% higher in the Northeast, 2.7% higher in the Midwest, 3.5% lower in the South, and 1.7% higher in the West. For single-family permits, the Midwest has shown resilience with single-family permits up 2.9% year to date, while the Northeast, South, and West continue to post declines. Year-to-date declines in single-family permits show builders remain cautious about future construction, a trend reflected in our recent builder surveys.

The total number of housing units under construction stood at 1.27 million in August, down 3.2% from a year earlier. Single-family homes under construction totaled 589,000, a 3.4% year-over-year decline. Multifamily units under construction fell to 682,000, down 3% from a year ago and well below the peak of more than 1 million units reached in December 2023.

Housing completions also continued to soften. Single-family completions fell to an annual rate of 816,000 units, down 22.9% from a year earlier. Multifamily completions for buildings with five or more units declined 35.7% year over year to a 302,000-unit pace.



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Single-Family Permitting Declines Through July as Multifamily Activity Remains Stronger –

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Single-family permitting activity continued to weaken through the first seven months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year. Although single-family permits declined in most regions and states, multifamily permitting increased in three of the four regions, led by significant gains in the Northeast and West.

Over the first seven months of the year, the number of single-family permits issued nationwide reached 546,826. Compared with the same period in 2025, this represents a 3.3 percent decline from the July 2025 total of 565,208. In contrast, multifamily permitting activity remained stronger, with 304,876 permits issued nationwide, marking a 6.3 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

Regionally, year-to-date single-family permitting declined in three out of the four regions through July. The Midwest was essentially flat, with a 1.1 percent increase. The South declined 2.6 percent, the West fell 6.1 percent, and the Northeast posted the largest decline, at 9.6 percent. Multifamily permits increased in three of the four regions, led by the Northeast (39.9 percent), followed by the West (16.2 percent), and the Midwest (4.1 percent). The South was the only region to post a decline, with multifamily permits falling 6.5 percent, driven largely by reduced permitting activity in major metropolitan areas across the region.

At the state level, 20 states and the District of Columbia recorded increases in single-family permits compared with the same period last year, with gains ranging from 69.6 percent in the District of Columbia to 0.3 percent in Louisiana. The remaining 30 states posted declines. Nevada recorded the steepest decline, with single-family permits falling 27.5 percent.

The ten states issued the highest number of single-family permits accounted for 62.5 percent of all single-family permits issued nationwide. Texas led the nation with 87,795 permits issued through July 2026, although this represented a 3.1 percent decline from the same period in 2025. Florida, the second-highest state, recorded a 2.8 percent decline, while North Carolina, ranking third, posted a 7.7 percent decrease.

Through July, 30 states and the District of Columbia recorded increases in multifamily building permits, while 19 states experienced declines. Alaska remained unchanged. The District of Columbia posted the largest percentage increase, with multifamily permits rising 108.9 percent, from 541 to 1,130 units. In contrast, Nevada recorded the steepest decline, with permits falling 42.0 percent, from 3,916 to 2,271 units.

The ten states issued the highest number of multifamily permits accounted for 61.0 percent of all multifamily permits issued nationwide. Through the first seven months of 2026, Texas, which issued the largest number of multifamily permits, posted a 20.5 percent decline compared with the same period last year. California, the second-highest state, recorded a 25.9 percent increase, while Florida, ranking third, saw multifamily permits decrease by 31.2 percent.

At the local level, the following are the ten metropolitan areas with the highest number of single-family permits issued.

Below are the ten metropolitan areas with the highest levels of multifamily permitting activity.



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