Analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data indicates that 96% of construction-related jobs have a low or moderate risk of artificial intelligence (AI) exposure. Roles such as carpenters, laborers, roofers and equipment operators remain largely insulated from job disruption from AI, largely due to the physical nature of the job. Only two jobs indicated high exposure: construction managers and construction and building inspectors. “Relatively low current AI exposure does not mean that construction is insulated from technological change,” said…
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Remodeling market remains stable in Q3
In the third quarter of 2026, the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 66. This is up one point from the second quarter. Compared to the single-family and multifamily sectors, remodeler sentiment continues to stand out in the residential construction industry, despite economic uncertainty. Remodeling continues to increase in the overall construction market, due to it being less impacted than new construction by elevated interest rates. According to NAHB’s projection, remodeling activity will remain stable through the rest of 2026 and grow…
Read MoreExisting home sales 1.2% lower than last year
On a year-over-year basis, existing home sales saw a slight decrease, only 1.2% lower than in 2025. However, on a month-over-month basis, existing home sales fell for the third consecutive month as a result of both elevated home prices and mortgage rates. Homes stayed on the market for a median of 31 days in August 2026, up from 29 days in the previous month but unchanged from August 2025. Last month, existing home sales decreased across the four major regions: Sales in the Northeast decreased 4.0%, in the Midwest 3.1%…
Read MoreWhat the custom home premium reveals about homebuilding
According to the National Association of Home Builders’ analysis of the latest Survey of Construction data, the custom home premium reached its highest level since 2011, at 12.6%. The custom home premium is the difference between what typical buyers pay per square foot for a contractor-built home versus a spec home. For custom single-family detached homes started in 2025, the median price increased to $171 per square foot. For spec starts, excluding improved lot values, the median was $152 per square foot, nearly unchanged from $153 a year earlier. The…
Read MoreConstruction job openings rise to 326,000 in July
Construction sector jobs increased again in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. However, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analysis is skeptical that a majority of the work is in residential construction. The positive is that construction jobs are up more than the previous month, at 326,000 in July compared to the June increase of 298,000. Notably, July’s postings are stronger than last’s year’s numbers of 305,000 jobs. Hiring in July increased from 3.8% to 4.4% and layoffs plateaued at 1.9%, while the…
Read MoreConstruction declines for SFBTR
According to recent analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) of the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, construction of single-family build-to-rent (SFBTR) homes declined throughout 2026. Compared to single-family housing construction, SFBTR faces stronger headwinds from the cost of financing, increased multifamily supply and regulatory action. Q2 2026 (15,000) posted an estimated 3,000 fewer starts than Q2 2025 (18,000). NAHB’s analysis pointed out that over the past four quarters, SFBTR construction starts fell by about 16%. “While the market share of SFBFR homes is small,…
Read MoreBuilding material prices see growth in July
According to the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Producer Price Index, residential building material prices rose 0.4% in July 2026 and were up 5.0% from last year. The price index for inputs to new residential construction fell 0.1% in July, but was up 6.5% from the year before. The price of goods used in new residential construction, including energy, was up 0.1% over the month and up 6.7% from last year, while the price of services was down 0.3% over the month and up 6.2% from last year. Among…
Read MoreExisting home sales 0.7% higher than last year
According to the National Association of Realtors, on a year-over-year basis, existing home sales were 0.7% higher than last year. However, total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, fell 1.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.06 million in July 2026. The July median sales price of all existing homes was $434,100, up 2.0% from last year. This marks the 37th consecutive month of year-over-year increases. Existing home sales in July were mixed across the four major regions: Sales fell in the South and Midwest,…
Read MoreCalifornia, Texas and Florida drive remodeling activity
According to first-quarter results from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) State Projections of Remodeling (SPR), three states account for the largest shares of remodeling activity across the nation: California, Texas and Florida. In the first quarter of 2026, California led remodeling activity, accounting for 8% of the market at $22.2 billion. Texas followed close behind at $20.2 billion, or 7.3%, followed by Florida at $15.4 billion, or 5.5%. For market growth, the SPR identified five states as having the largest increases in remodeling spending in the first quarter:…
Read More21st Century ROAD to Housing Act reaches executive branch
After the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives on June 23, 2026, the bill reached the executive branch’s desk. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) applauded the passage and now urges the legislation to be signed. This once-in-a-generation housing package includes more than 50 sections addressing housing supply, financing, disaster recovery and other priorities. NAHB provided input to Congress on many parts of the bill, but five provisions are especially important to members: land-use and zoning, aging housing stock, multifamily financing,…
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