According to the most recent NAHB/Well Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) survey, the completion of interior finishes (drywall, interior doors, painting, cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures, flooring, etc.) requires an average of 6.4 weeks, which is longer than any other major stage of single-family construction.
The October 2026 HMI survey inquired of builders regarding the duration of time required to complete each of the seven main stages of construction that have been traditionally employed in NAHB’s construction cost surveys.
The survey examines the typical procedures that a builder implements following the acquisition of a completed lot in the context of a single-family detached home that is intended for sale.
Framing and major systems rough-ins (HVAC and plumbing/electrical other than fixtures) consume the most time after interior finishes, with each taking 3.7 weeks.
The final steps, which include landscaping, outdoor structures, and clean-up, necessitate 3.6 weeks, while the exterior finishes, which include siding, roofing, windows, and doors, necessitate 3.4 weeks.
Site work and foundations necessitate the least amount of time during the construction process, with an average of slightly more than two weeks per stage.
The most costly and time-consuming phases of construction are, in general, the most expensive.
For instance, interior finishes contribute to over 24% of the builder’s construction costs in the most recent NAHB survey, which is significantly higher than any other stage of construction and roughly proportional to the time that stage consumes in the overall construction process.
Nevertheless, the final steps defy this general rule by occupying a disproportionately large quantity of construction time, despite being the least expensive stage of construction. The Cost of Constructing a Home-2024 provides a comprehensive cost breakdown by construction stage, as well as a more detailed description of each stage.
The average single-family detached home is constructed in 25.3 weeks (approximately 5.8 months) according to NAHB’s October 2026 HMI survey.
This is in close proximity to the average time of 6.1 months from start to completion for a single-family home constructed for sale in 2025, as reported by the Census Bureau. The Census estimates indicate that custom homes (i.e., contractor-built homes constructed one at a time on the home owner’s lot, and owner-built homes where the owner serves as the general contractor) require a significantly longer construction period.
Furthermore, it is crucial to bear in mind that these figures are averages, and the duration of time required to construct a specific home will differ depending on the home’s characteristics, the contractor, and the geographic location.
The time-to-completion estimate from the Census Bureau is derived from a sample that is significantly larger and more intricately stratified than the one from NAHB.
Therefore, the Census estimate is the one that should be employed if you are solely concerned with the total construction time of a single-family home.
However, NAHB’s new 25.3-week time-to-completion estimate has the clear advantage of deconstructing the time by construction stage.
The additional information may be beneficial to a builder who wishes to educate consumers, determine the appropriate time to purchase building materials, schedule inspections, or supervise subcontractors.
[Read more about this topic on eyeonhousing.org]