New research from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction and analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) show that the timeline from permit to completion of a new single-family home has decreased from the post-pandemic highs.
Estimates in the most recent data from 2025 report that it now takes about 8.8 months on average from start to completion.
While this is higher than the 2015 estimate of 7.2 months, the downward trend from the 2023 high of 10.1 months exhibits signs of cooling in supply chain holdups.
The data also varies by square footage, builder (production homes, custom and build-to-rent) and region.
“The division with the longest duration was New England (13.5 months), followed by the Middle Atlantic (12.6 months), the Pacific division (10.3 months), the East South Central division (9.1 months) and the Mountain division (9.1 months) in 2025,” said Na Zhao, principal economist at NAHB.
