Use This NAHB Resource to Help Select New Home Building Materials
Home builders throughout the United States are grappling with building material price surges, and shortages or delays for certain orders, which are leading many to explore alternatives to complete or start projects.
Builders face many choices in selecting new products, materials, equipment and fixtures to use in constructing a home, and can determine which building materials best fit their needs by getting information about new or unfamiliar items from manufacturers and distributors. Carefully reviewing building material choices in advance may help eliminate non-conforming building materials, returns and possibly disputes.
NAHB has developed a guide, Assessing Building Materials, for builders who may not have their own review process for gathering information from manufacturers and distributors when considering the selection of new building materials.
The guide is intended to arm members with the most important factor when evaluating new materials or products: information. Use the guide to step through the information collection process to make an informed decision on deploying new products or materials. The guide is not intended to be exhaustive or all-inclusive, but it will help builders ask the right questions and seek the most relevant information.
Latest from NAHBNow
Advocacy | Multifamily
Nov 06, 2026
Treasury Announces New Opportunity Zone Designations
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have announced new Opportunity Zone designations for more than 6,500 communities nationwide, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
Membership Recruitment and Retention
Nov 05, 2026
The Value of Being One of NAHB's Top Recruiters
Member-to-member recruitment is essential for growing NAHB’s membership. Here are the perks members are being rewarded with for their efforts.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Nov 06, 2026
Hiring Rebounds in October, but Residential Construction Employment Declines
The U.S. labor market rebounded in October, with nonfarm payroll employment increasing by 165,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declining to 4.1%. However, the improvement in overall employment contrasts with continued weakness in residential construction, where employment fell by 16,400 jobs, the largest monthly decline since March 2021.
Economics
Nov 05, 2026
Multifamily Developer Confidence Weakens in Third Quarter
New multifamily housing confidence weakened year-over-year in the third quarter, according to the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) had a reading of 41, down five points year-over-year, while the Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) had a reading of 69, also down five points year-over-year.
Economics
Nov 04, 2026
Mortgage Applications Decline as Higher Rates Boost ARM Share
Mortgage application activity declined in October as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose sharply again. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, fell 14.1% month-over-month in October on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to a year ago, total mortgage applications were 39.8% lower.