US New-Home Completions Remain Wood-Framed, but Numbers Decreased in 2023

According to National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analysis of US Census Bureau data, 93% of new home completions in 2023 were wood-framed, another 7% were concrete-framed homes, and less than a half percent were steel-framed homes.

There were 930,000 wood-framed homes completed in 2023, NAHB reports. This is a 3% decrease compared to 2022. The wood-framed market share decreased to 93% in 2023, after it increased for three consecutive years—from 90% in 2019 to 94% in 2022. Steel-framed homes are relatively uncommon, with 3,000 housing completions in 2023, the same as 2021 and 2022.

Of note, 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.

Non-wood based framing methods are primarily concentrated in the South due to residential resiliency requirements. In 2023, concrete-framed homes made up 11% of all homes completed in the South. Additionally, approximately two-thirds of steel-framed homes completed in 2023 were in the South.