More than 93% of all single-family homes built in the United States in 2023 were timber-framed, totalling approximately 930,000 units, according to data provided by Jing Fu, Senior Director of Forecasting and Analysis at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Concrete-framed homes accounted for 7% of completions (around 65,000 units), while steel-framed construction remained rare, with just 3,000 homes built—a figure consistent with previous years.
“Non-wood framing methods are largely concentrated in the South, where resilience requirements drive demand for concrete and steel,” according to Dr. Fu, who reported on the 2023 Census Bureau data. “In 2023, 11% of homes completed in the South were concrete-framed, and two-thirds of steel-framed homes were built in the region.”
And whilst the percentage of timber framing new-builds remains steady, rising material costs and trade uncertainty are beginning to erode affordability. In March, the NAHB warned that proposed 15% tariffs on lumber—part of ongoing trade negotiations with the European Union—are already impacting pricing. Broader uncertainty around tariffs on drywall, steel, and aluminium has added an estimated $9,200 to the material cost of a new home. In response, 29% of builders have lowered home prices, and 59% are offering sales incentives to help move stagnant inventory.
Even secondary components such as cabinets, windows, doors, and trusses are affected. “To account for the manufacturer’s margins, sawmill prices for the lumber embodied in these products are marked up by the percentage difference between receipts and cost of goods in the wood product manufacturing industry,” the NAHB noted. “The bottom line is that changes in softwood lumber directly impact the price of a new home.”
To read more about the impact of building materials on the cost of a new home, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from February.
