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
Jan 15, 2026
Remodeling Market Sentiment Strengthens in Fourth Quarter of 2025The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) released its NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the fourth quarter, posting a reading of 64, up four points compared to the previous quarter.
Jan 14, 2026
Upcoming NAHB Webinar Will Highlight Updates to NGBSA new edition of the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) will be coming out soon. NAHB is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. EST for members to learn more about the update.
Latest Economic News
Jan 14, 2026
Building Material Price Growth Remains Elevated in NovemberResidential building material prices continued to experience elevated growth, according to the latest Producer Price Index release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Price growth has been above 3.0% since June this year, despite continued weakness in the new residential construction market.
Jan 13, 2026
New Home Sales Rise Year-Over-Year as Prices StabilizeThe new home sector has played an increasingly important role in meeting housing demand as resale inventory remains constrained in many regions. The latest data released today (and delayed because of the government shutdown in fall of 2025) indicate that new single-family home sales continue to reflect a stabilizing market after a period of heightened volatility.
Jan 13, 2026
Inflation Steady in DecemberInflation held steady in December, matching November’s reading, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest report. This December report was the first report to include a month-to-month figure since the government shutdown.