Strategies Builders Employ to Combat Rising Building Material Costs and Shortages
How have single-family builders reacted to recent shortages and price increases in building materials?
The most common strategies, cited by 62% and 59% of builders, were to raise their prices on their homes frequently and pre-ordering materials, according to a June survey for the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).
These approaches were followed by price escalation clauses (45%, waiting until late in the construction process before listing spec homes (39%) and cost-plus pricing (32%).
Only 2% of builders indicated they had adopted none of the listed techniques for dealing with the shortages and rising cost of materials.
While some of the most dramatic price increases over the past year involved lumber prices, this has caused very few builders to switch away from traditional wood framing, although some are considering it. In particular, 17% are considering switching to steel, 16% to structural insulated panels, 14% to insulated concrete forms and 8% to concrete masonry.
NAHB Senior Economist Paul Emrath provides more analysis in this Eye on Housing blog post.
Single-family home builders are invited to join the exclusive group of NAHB members who participate in the HMI survey. To begin receiving these monthly surveys, please submit this form.
Latest from NAHBNow
Codes and Standards
Oct 28, 2026
What a Building Code Study Gets Wrong About Housing Affordability
A working paper from researchers at the University of Alabama concludes that when a jurisdiction adopts new residential building codes, it has no effect on the sales prices of homes. But a close technical review reveals that the study’s policy conclusions go well beyond what its analysis can establish.
Legal
Oct 27, 2026
Legal Action Committee Awards Nearly $100,000 in Legal Support Grants at FLM
At its recent meeting during the NAHB Fall Leadership Meetings, the NAHB Legal Action Committee reviewed seven requests for Legal Action Fund assistance and recommended assistance in six.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Oct 26, 2026
Uptick for Non-Conventional Financing in 2025
Nationwide, the share of non-conventional financing for new home sales accounted for 32.4% of the market, according to NAHB analysis of the 2025 Census Bureau Survey of Construction (SOC) data.
Economics
Oct 23, 2026
A Quarter of Remodelers Started ADUs Over Past Twelve Months
When asked if remodelers started a project involving an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) over the past twelve months, 24% indicated that they were building an addition for use as an ADU and 23% indicated that they were converting an existing space to an ADU, according to NAHB’s Remodeling Market Index (RMI).
Economics
Oct 23, 2026
Slabs Overtake Basements in the East North Central Division
Nearly three-quarters of new single-family homes started in 2025 were built on slab foundations, according to NAHB analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC).