Construction Cost Trends 2020–2026
Track how residential construction costs have changed since the pandemic-era surge. National average and state-by-state data.
35 Years of U.S. Building Permits (1990–2025)
Every single-family building permit filed in every U.S. county, 1990 through 2025, straight from the Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey. This is the housing cycle in permit counts: the mid-2000s boom, the 2008–2011 collapse, and the recovery since.
Single-Family Building Permits, 1990–2025
Annual 1-unit permits authorized, all 50 states + DC. Green line marks the peak, red line marks the trough.
Permits by Year (every 5th year)
| Year | Single-Family Permits | Avg Declared Valuation/Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 801,071 | $90,879 |
| 1995 | 997,829 | $105,014 |
| 2000 | 1,199,284 | $134,062 |
| 2005 | 1,681,986 | $169,117 |
| 2010 | 447,311 | $194,773 |
| 2015 | 697,372 | $238,919 |
| 2020 | 979,360 | $248,554 |
| 2025 | 911,903 | $320,814 |
Declared valuations are nominal dollars at time of permit filing, not adjusted for inflation, and typically understate final construction cost since they reflect the builder’s estimate for permit fee purposes rather than the completed project’s actual cost.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, county annual files 1990–2025. Raw data: /data/permit-history.json. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
When Americans Build: Permit Seasonality
Building permits aren’t filed evenly across the year. Averaging five recent years of Census Bureau monthly permit files reveals a consistent seasonal pattern in when single-family permits get pulled — an angle not published anywhere else on this site.
Average Share of Annual Single-Family Permits by Month
National average, 2021–2025. Green bar marks the peak month, red bar marks the trough month.
Permits cluster in March through early summer as builders file paperwork ahead of the spring/summer construction season, then taper through late fall into a December trough as winter weather, holidays, and shorter daylight hours slow new filings in much of the country. For homeowners planning a build, this doesn’t mean permits can’t be filed off-season — but it does suggest that general contractors and subcontractors are typically busiest (and least flexible on scheduling or pricing) from spring through mid-summer, while late fall and winter can offer more contractor availability and potentially more room to negotiate, in regions where winter construction is practical.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, State/ monthly files (2021–2025). Raw data: /data/permit-seasonality.json. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
Compare States (select up to 4)
3/4 selectedCost per Sq Ft by Year
National Average by Year
| Year | $/sq ft | Change | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $128 | 0% | — |
| 2021 | $155 | +21.1% | Lumber price spike (+300%) |
| 2022 | $195 | +25.8% | Supply chain disruption, labor shortage, inflation |
| 2023 | $192 | -1.5% | Lumber prices normalized, supply chains eased |
| 2024 | $185 | -3.6% | Higher interest rates slowed demand, material costs fell |
| 2025 | $187 | +1.1% | Labor costs continued rising, materials stabilized |
| 2026 | $188 | +0.5% | Steady market, modest wage inflation |
What Drove Cost Changes
Official BLS Producer Price Indexes (2020–2026)
Government-published index values for construction materials, direct from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These track relative price movement over time (index points, not dollars).
| Series | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 YTD | Chg vs 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumber and Wood Products | 248.1 | 347 | 342.6 | 257.5 | 253.7 | 265.9 | 275 | +10.8% |
| Softwood Lumber | 280.3 | 397.7 | 384.9 | 264.4 | 254.4 | 264.9 | 274.8 | -2% |
| Concrete Products | 279.1 | 292.9 | 329.9 | 366.1 | 384.8 | 392.8 | 402.4 | +44.2% |
| Steel Mill Products | 184.5 | 350.9 | 381.5 | 319.6 | 291.4 | 298.4 | 337.3 | +82.8% |
| Gypsum Products | 322 | 374.3 | 444.2 | 460.3 | 473.6 | 483.2 | 480.3 | +49.2% |
| Copper and Brass Mill Shapes | 217 | 259.5 | 313.6 | 316.9 | 321.2 | 333.1 | 348.1 | +60.4% |
| Plastic Construction Products | 273.9 | 277 | 281.8 | 289.2 | 294 | 293 | 295.6 | +7.9% |
| Asphalt | 175.7 | 315.9 | 524.2 | 393.8 | 333.9 | 301.1 | 429 | +144.2% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index, series WPU081, WPU0811, WPU133, WPU1017, WPU137, WPU1073, WPU0638, WPU057303. Index values, not retail prices; 1982=100 base for most WPU series. Retrieved 2026-07-18. Raw series data: /data/ppi.json
Data sources: HouseBuildCalc Permit Cost Index, NAHB Cost of Constructing a Home study, Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index. View material-level price data →
Data updated June 15, 2026 · Methodology