Cost to Construct a Home Rose Significantly Over Last Two Years
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.
Latest from NAHBNow
Construction job openings declined in August. However, strength in certain subsectors like data center construction (up 46% year over year) is creating demand for construction workers.
NAHB’s Economics team is measuring how elevated costs across the residential construction industry impact the cost to build single-family homes. And we need your help.
Latest Economic News
The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge remained elevated in August, complicating the Fed’s path to its 2% target. Core PCE held at 3.0% year-over-year for the third consecutive month. Though the reading came in lower than expected, it’s not necessarily a sign of disinflation.
Consumer confidence in September plunged to the lowest level since April 2014 as consumers grew more pessimistic about current conditions and the economic outlook.
The number of open positions in the construction sector fell back in August per the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The current level of open jobs is down from three years ago due to declines in construction activity, particularly in housing.