Share of Wood-Framed Homes Dips in 2023

Trends
Published

Wood framing remains the most dominant construction method for completed single-family homes in the U.S., according to NAHB analysis of 2023 Census Bureau data. For 2023 completions, 93% of new homes were wood-framed, another 7% were concrete-framed homes, and less than half a percent were steel-framed.

On a count basis, there were 930,000 wood-framed homes completed in 2023. This was a 3% decrease compared to the 2022 total. The wood-framed market share decreased to 93% in 2023, after it increased for three consecutive years from 2019 (90%) to 2022 (94%). As noted above, steel-framed homes are relatively uncommon, with 3,000 housing completions in 2023, the same amount as the 2021 and 2022 completions.

Meanwhile, the concrete-framed market share increased from 6% in 2022 to 7% in 2023. On a count basis, there were 65,000 concrete-framed homes completed in 2023, up 3% from the previous year. This is the first increase after three straight years of declines (down 13% in 2020, 5% in 2021 and 11% in 2022).

Jing Fu, NAHB director of forecasting and analysis, provides more in this Eye on Housing post.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

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

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics
Oct 20, 2026
Single-Family Starts Down as Affordability Challenges Persist

Overall housing starts decreased 5.2% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.22 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Membership | Young Professionals Committee
Oct 19, 2026
3 Opportunities to Celebrate YP Week

Opportunities include this year’s YP Week giveaway, sponsored by BuilderBooks: a 1-hour one-on-one coaching session with Grace Mase, a Yale-trained architect who recently authored AI in Residential Construction: A Blueprint for Lasting Impact and Success.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics
Oct 19, 2026
Builder Sentiment Falls on Rising Rates

Rising mortgage rates, energy and material costs, and worsening labor and lot conditions have pushed builder sentiment to a 14-year low.

Economics
Oct 16, 2026
Single-Family Permitting Declines Through August

Single-family permitting activity continued to soften through the first eight months of 2026, while multifamily permitting remained stronger compared with the same period last year.

Economics
Oct 16, 2026
Research Highlights the Broad Benefits of Homeownership

A rich, peer-reviewed academic literature finds that homeownership produces benefits that extend well beyond house-price appreciation.