Slab foundations remain the norm for new homes.
According to NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC), 57 percent of all new single-family homes were built on slab foundations in 2015. Slab foundations have been more common than other options, which include full and partial basements and crawl spaces, since at least 2000. That year, 46 percent of homes were built on slab.
Last year, 27 percent of new homes had a full or partial basement, and 14 percent had a crawl space.
Foundation types vary significantly by region. For instance, in the West South Central U.S., an area that includes Texas, 96 percent of homes are built on slab foundations. The Pacific and South Atlantic regions are also predominantly slab, which are better suited for warm climates and are quicker and cheaper to construct.
Basements are quite common in West North Central (which contains Minnesota), New England, East North Central (Illinois and Ohio), and the Middle Atlantic.
