On average, in 2015 it took about seven months to complete a single-family house, the first month of which accounted for the authorization process until construction actually began. That information comes from the 2015 Survey of Construction from the Census Bureau. However, the length of time it takes to build a home varies depending on the housing category, the geographic location, and metropolitan status, NAHB’s Eye on Housing blog reports.
Built for sale houses took the shortest amount of time on average. Once building permits were obtained, it took about 6 months to complete construction. Homes that were built by owners took the longest time to complete, almost a full year from obtaining permits. Built for rent homes took about nine months to complete while homes built by contractors on owners’ land took around eight months. Homes that were built for rent took the longest between getting all of the necessary permits and actually beginning construction.
Regionally, the South Atlantic and the Mountain regions had the shortest average time from permit to completion at six months. The New England and Middle Atlantic regions had the longest time at 10 months. The Mountain region also had the lowest average days from permits to start at 15. The South Atlantic, however, was on the higher end at 27 days. The West South Central region had the longest average time from permits to start at 35 days.
In every region except the Middle Atlantic, homes built in non-metro areas took longer to complete than homes built in metro areas.
