Cost to Construct a Home Rose Significantly Over Last Two Years

Construction Costs
Published

Construction costs accounted for 64.4% of the average price of a new home in 2024 compared to 60.8% in 2022, according to NAHB’s most recent Cost of Construction Survey.

The latest finding marks a record high for construction costs since the inception of the series in 1998 and the fifth instance where construction costs represented over 60% of the total sales price.

Broad inflation in the global economy since 2022 — particularly in building material prices — is largely to blame for the increased construction costs.

The finished lot was the second largest cost at 13.7% of the sales price, down more than four percentage points from 17.8% in 2022. The average builder profit margin was 11.% in 2024, up from 10.1% in 2022. 

Explore the interactive dashboard below to view the costs and percentage of construction costs for eight stages of construction and their 36 components.

For more on the survey, please see this Eye on Housing post from NAHB economists.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Land Development | Advocacy
Aug 14, 2026
Key Land-Use and Zoning Provisions in Landmark Housing Law

The newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop voluntary federal guidelines for state and local zoning best practices. Although not mandatory, the guidelines will help shape how communities are evaluated for federal grants and give states a model for developing their own enabling legislation.

Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Construction Employment Rises Amid a Cooling Labor Market

The overall labor market continued to lose momentum in July, with nonfarm payrolls falling by 23,000 and previous job gains revised sharply lower.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Building Material Prices Show Growth In July

Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.4% in July and were up 5.0% from a year ago. Energy prices fell again in July but remained significantly higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, prices for services were down 0.3% over the month but were 6.2% higher than a year ago.

Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Homeownership Rate Edges Down to 65%

The latest homeownership rate declined to 65% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). The homeownership rate was unchanged from a year ago, and not statistically different than the rate in the first quarter of the year (65.3%).

Economics
Aug 12, 2026
Inflation Eased Slightly in July

Led by declines in gasoline and diesel prices, inflation eased for the second consecutive month after reaching a three-year high in May. As energy prices moderated, shelter resumed its role as the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for one-third of the annual increase and over two-thirds of the monthly increase.