Slab Foundations Continue to Overtake Basements in New Homes
NAHB analysis of the latest Survey of Construction (SOC) shows the gap between slab and full/partial basement foundation adoption rates is growing: The share of new homes built on slabs steadily increased from 46% in 2000 to 65% in 2020, while the share of new homes with basements dropped from 36.8% to 22%.
There are large regional differences in foundation types across the nation. Homes in colder areas, where building codes normally require foundations to be built below the frost line, are predominately constructed with full or partial basements.
The division with the highest share of full/partial basements in new homes is New England (79.8%), followed by the West North Central division (77.2 %), the Middle Atlantic division (69.5%) and the East North Central division (54.3%).
New homes with slab foundations are most common in the West South Central (95.7%), South Atlantic (79.4%), Pacific (67.7%) and Mountain (48.1%) divisions. They are most popular in the West South Central division, where new single-family homes have been primarily constructed on slab foundations over the past 10 years.
A warmer climate makes building on slab more cost effective, compared to full/partial basements. Slab foundations also need the least amount of maintenance in the long run. In the East South Central division, 43% of new homes started in 2020 had a crawl space and 38% were built on slabs.
NAHB Senior Economist Na Zhao provides more analysis in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Safety
Apr 20, 2026
Electrical Safety is Important to Everyone on a Home Building SiteElectrical safety on jobsites can often be overlooked by many workers whose primary jobs do not include electrical work. But all workers and visitors on a home building jobsite can be exposed to electric risk if proper safety procedures are not followed.
Business Management
Apr 20, 2026
More Young Adults Interested in the Construction Trades, but Challenges PersistA new study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reveals that more young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are interested in the construction trades but more work needs to be done to educate the public that there are increasing opportunities for rewarding, lucrative careers in the skilled trades.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Apr 21, 2026
Population Growth and Housing Supply Dynamics at the County Level in 2025U.S. population growth slowed notably in the latest Vintage 2025 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, with the nation expanding by just 0.5% in 2025, roughly half the pace of the prior year. The deceleration was primarily driven by a sharp decline in net international migration (NIM), which dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million, while natural change remained relatively stable.
Economics
Apr 20, 2026
Construction Workforce Shifts: Fewer Tradesmen, More White-Collar JobsThe long-running shift in the construction labor force away from construction trades and toward management, business, and technical roles is ongoing and gaining momentum, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest 2024 data from the American Community Survey (ACS).
Economics
Apr 17, 2026
Count of Second Homes Declines in 2024In 2024, the number of second homes in the U.S. was 6.2 million, accounting for 4.3% of the nation’s housing stock, according to NAHB estimates. This reflects a modest decline from 2022, when the number reached 6.5 million. This decline suggests some cooling following the pandemic-era surge in second home demand.