The monthly NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index often includes a set of “special” questions on a topic of current interest to the housing industry. In January 2013, the special questions asked builders about the problems they faced in 2012 and expect to face in 2013. The survey was divided into 5 different sections with significant problems faced by the builders. One section covered problems related to building costs. A year earlier, similar questions asked about problems faced in 2011, so it’s possible to trace the evolution of problems builders faced in 2011, 2012 and expect to face this year.
According to the latest survey, more than three-fourths of the builders expect building materials prices to be one of their significant problems expected in 2013, up substantially from 46 percent in 2012 and 33 percent in 2011. Second is cost/availability of labor, a significant problem 51 percent of builders expect to face in 2013, up from 30 percent who said they faced the problem in 2012 and only 13 percent in 2011. Nearly half of the builders expect cost/availability of developed lots to be a significant problem. This is also up from 24 percent who said they faced the problem in 2012 and 21 percent in 2011.
Against the backdrop of impending health reforms scheduled to go into effect in 2014, 42 percent of the builders expect costs of health insurance be a significant problem in 2013. Like many of the cost categories further down on the chart, problems with health insurance were slightly less common among builders in 2012 than in 2011, but expectations indicate this small improvement is likely to be reversed in 2013.
The tendency for cost problems to become more widespread among builders—especially the top 3 categories of costs (materials, labor and lots)—is something you might expect as residential construction recovers from its trough. At this stage of the cycle, however, rising costs are beginning to emerge as a significant obstacle to a further and stronger recovery.
Eye on Housing 
I can vouch now for material cost increases as a 2013 problem to watch. The uptick in building permits and activity, coupled with shortages of labor (due to their exits the last couple years), has driven prices higher already.
[…] Survey Indicates Growing Concern Over Builder Costs […]
We at Hayward Lumber have been advising our builders to go above and beyond normal communication to keep their clients informed about the current lumber market. We also supply them market information to substantiate the changes. We are encouraging builders to include a component in their contract for material cost increases if they do not already do so. Margins at the builder level and material supplier lever are much too thin to absorb increases like these so the consumer will need to be prepared to adjust. Be careful.
I think this is one of the first articles I’ve seen that recognizes the impending crunch on builders’ profit margins. As a real estate broker (who used to be a lumberman) I’m on the selling end and seeing builders still agressively filling their order files and many are stumbling on the execution and I know that their lumber package is costing them 45% more than it was a year ago. I’ve been counseling my buyer clients to be prepared for delays in their closing dates. And I’m really nervous that some of these more regional builders are going to go bust mid project with half my clients money in their pocket!
[…] here to read […]
On the last 3 buyouts we’ve facititated for our members, we have seen both the material cost increases and the labor increases. I let the builders know that this was to be expected prior to the buyout, but the percentages were slightly higher than anticipated.
[…] The number of open positions in the industry remained relatively high. At 92,000 open positions, the month of December had the second highest number of unfilled positions for 2012. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders going …. […]
If there are so many open position in construction why is so difficult for a person as myself with 15+ years as a construction manager to land a good paying job.
[…] The number of open positions in the industry remained relatively high. At 92,000 open positions, the month of December had the second highest number of unfilled positions for 2012. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders going …. […]
[…] The number of open positions in the industry remained relatively high. At 92,000 open positions, the month of December had the second highest number of unfilled positions for 2012. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders going …. […]
[…] new concerns, including rising building material costs and worker availability. According to an NAHB survey, more than three-quarters of builders expect building materials prices to be one of their […]
[…] The number of open positions in the industry remained relatively high. At 92,000 open positions, the month of December had the second highest number of unfilled positions for 2012. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders going …. […]
[…] Survey Indicates Growing Concern Over Builder Costs […]
[…] new concerns, including rising building material costs and worker availability. According to an NAHB survey, more than three-quarters of builders expect building materials prices to be one of their […]
[…] certainly recovering, Builders are still faced with many challenges. The two they fear most are (according to a Jan. ’13 survey from the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index) increased building material prices (71%) and cost/availability of labor (54%). Notably, this is […]
[…] No wonder cost and availability of developed lots was one of the growing concerns mentioned by builders in the February 8 Eye on Housing. […]
[…] No wonder cost and availability of developed lots was one of the growing concerns mentioned by builders in the February 8 Eye on Housing. […]
[…] The number of open positions in the construction industry remained relatively high in the current report. At 98,000 open positions, the month of January had the second highest number of unfilled positions in the last 17 months. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] The number of open positions in the construction industry remained relatively high in the current report. At 98,000 open positions, the month of January had the second highest number of unfilled positions in the last 17 months. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders i…. […]
[…] The number of open positions in the construction industry remained relatively high in the current report. At 98,000 open positions, the month of January had the second highest number of unfilled positions in the last 17 months. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] The number of open positions in the construction industry remained relatively high in the current report. At 98,000 open positions, the month of January had the second highest number of unfilled positions in the last 17 months. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] constraints to their ability to keep up with increased demand—particularly emerging shortages and rising costs of building materials, labor and […]
[…] constraints to their ability to keep up with increased demand—particularly emerging shortages and rising costs of building materials, labor and […]
[…] to their ability to keep up with increased demand—particularly emerging shortages and rising costs of building materials, labor and […]
[…] More importantly, the number of open positions in the construction industry reached a post-Great Recession high in February. The number of unfilled positions in the sector reached 116,000 in February, in addition to an upward revision for January. The February measure of unfilled jobs is the highest for the construction sector since September of 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] More importantly, the number of open positions in the construction industry reached a post-Great Recession high in February. The number of unfilled positions in the sector reached 116,000 in February, in addition to an upward revision for January. The February measure of unfilled jobs is the highest for the construction sector since September of 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders i…. […]
[…] More importantly, the number of open positions in the construction industry reached a post-Great Recession high in February. The number of unfilled positions in the sector reached 116,000 in February, in addition to an upward revision for January. The February measure of unfilled jobs is the highest for the construction sector since September of 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] about the rising costs of construction materials and labor probably contributed to the pause in the general upward trend […]
[…] about the rising costs of construction materials and labor probably contributed to the pause in the general upward trend […]
[…] about the rising costs of construction materials and labor probably contributed to the pause in the general upward trend […]
[…] More importantly, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remained near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 101,000 in March, marking three consecutive months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] More importantly, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remained near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 101,000 in March, marking three consecutive months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders i…. […]
[…] More importantly, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remained near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 101,000 in March, marking three consecutive months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] Consistent with resports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 108,000 in April, marking four consecutive months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since a stretch that began in 2007. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] Consistent with resports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 108,000 in April, marking four consecutive months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since a stretch that began in 2007. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] Consistent with resports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 108,000 in April, marking four consecutive months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since a stretch that began in 2007. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders i…. […]
[…] Consistent with reports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 103,000 in May, marking four of the last five months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] Consistent with reports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 103,000 in May, marking four of the last five months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders i…. […]
[…] Consistent with reports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains near post-Great Recession highs. The number of unfilled positions in the sector stood at 103,000 in May, marking four of the last five months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] Consistent with reports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry reached a five-year high in June. The number of unfilled positions in the sector climbed to 133,000 from 102,000 in May. This marks five of the last six months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 20…. […]
[…] Consistent with reports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry reached a five-year high in June. The number of unfilled positions in the sector climbed to 133,000 from 102,000 in May. This marks five of the last six months for which the total number of open positions was greater than 100,000. This is the first time this has occurred since 2008. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders i…. […]
[…] Consistent with reports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains at levels last seen five years ago. The number of unfilled positions in the sector for July (100,000) marks six out of the seven most recent months for which this total has equaled or exceeded 100,000. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 201…. […]
[…] Consistent with reports of some labor shortages for builders, the number of open, unfilled positions in the construction industry remains at levels last seen five years ago. The number of unfilled positions in the sector for August (111,000) marks six out of the eight months for which this total has equaled or exceeded 100,000. Successfully filling open positions with qualified workers is a top concern for home builders in 201…. […]
[…] as of August 2013, employees are not returning as rapidly as one might expect. In fact, a recent survey found the cost and availability of labor to be second most significant issue faced by builders […]