Decks took a step back in 2018
The amount of new single-family home with decks receded in 2018, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Of the roughly 876,000 single-family homes started in 2018, just 22.6% included decks, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (SOC, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and partially funded by HUD). This is down over a full percentage point from 23.8% from the prior year.
From 2005 to 2008, the share of new homes with decks was consistently over 25%, and as high as 27% in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the share dropped to below 25% percent and continued to decline, reaching a low point of 22.2% in 2012.
The 2018 figure of 22.6 percent is the lowest the share of new single-family homes with decks has been since 2013.
The SOC data allow the share of homes with decks to be calculated for each of the nine Census divisions, according to the NAHB.
About 57% of single-family homes in the East South Central and 56% in New England were built with decks. The counter-intuitive pattern of decks being least and most common in adjacent divisions was present again in 2018, the NAHB said.
As in previous years, only 4% of homes started in the West South Central Division were built with decks.
Regarding the construction of decks in the U.S. as a whole, the 2019 Building Practices Survey (BPS) conducted by Home Innovation Research Labs shows that the average size of a deck on a new single-family home is a little over 250 square feet.
Across the Census divisions, the largest decks were built in the Middle and South Atlantic divisions, where they were slightly over and slightly under 300 square feet, respectively.
The latest BPS report also shows that the materials builders use most often in their decks are treated wood and composite. In the Pacific Division, builders use more cedar and redwood than treated wood.
In the three most northeasterly divisions (New England, Middle Atlantic and East North Central), builders use PVC or other plastic as a deck material fairly often, but not as often as either treated wood or composite.
Of the roughly 876,000 single-family homes started in 2018, just 22.6% included decks, according to NAHB tabulation of data from the Survey of Construction (SOC, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and partially funded by HUD). This is down over a full percentage point from 23.8% from the prior year.
From 2005 to 2008, the share of new homes with decks was consistently over 25%, and as high as 27% in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the share dropped to below 25% percent and continued to decline, reaching a low point of 22.2% in 2012.
The 2018 figure of 22.6 percent is the lowest the share of new single-family homes with decks has been since 2013.
The SOC data allow the share of homes with decks to be calculated for each of the nine Census divisions, according to the NAHB.
About 57% of single-family homes in the East South Central and 56% in New England were built with decks. The counter-intuitive pattern of decks being least and most common in adjacent divisions was present again in 2018, the NAHB said.
As in previous years, only 4% of homes started in the West South Central Division were built with decks.
Regarding the construction of decks in the U.S. as a whole, the 2019 Building Practices Survey (BPS) conducted by Home Innovation Research Labs shows that the average size of a deck on a new single-family home is a little over 250 square feet.
Across the Census divisions, the largest decks were built in the Middle and South Atlantic divisions, where they were slightly over and slightly under 300 square feet, respectively.
The latest BPS report also shows that the materials builders use most often in their decks are treated wood and composite. In the Pacific Division, builders use more cedar and redwood than treated wood.
In the three most northeasterly divisions (New England, Middle Atlantic and East North Central), builders use PVC or other plastic as a deck material fairly often, but not as often as either treated wood or composite.