Most NAHB Builders are Small Companies

Nearly all of NAHB builder members are small companies, in accordance with the annual census of its members NAHB has been conducting since 2008. The latest installment of the census was performed on the finish of 2023 and lined enterprise exercise by way of 2023.

The census reveals that, on common, NAHB builders began 59.2 properties in 2023 (37.3 single-family and 21.9 multifamily). Nonetheless, the median variety of properties began was solely six. As a result of the info embody a small share of very giant builders, the typical variety of begins is way increased than the median. For that motive, the median could higher characterize the expertise of the everyday NAHB builder.

One other, typical strategy to consider the dimensions of a enterprise is by the annual income it generates. Within the 2023 NAHB census, 14% of builders reported a greenback quantity of lower than $500,000, 12% reported between $500,000 and $999,999, 38% between $1.0 and $4.9 million, 15% between $5.0 and $9.9 million, 6% between $10.0 million and $14.9 million, and 14% reported $15.0 million or extra. Only one% reported no enterprise exercise in any respect in 2023. The median edged as much as $3.4 million (from $3.3 million in 2021 and 2022). For comparability, the Small Enterprise Administration’s measurement requirements classify residential builders and remodelers as small if they’ve common annual receipts of $45.0 million or much less ($34.0 million or much less for land builders).

Traditionally, NAHB initiated the present model of its member census through the industry-wide downturn of 2008, when the median annual income of builder members was solely round $1.0 million. Median annual income started rising in 2013, because the {industry} slowly recovered, plateauing at $2.6 to $2.7 million from 2017 by way of 2020, earlier than leaping to $3.3 million in 2021 and 2022 after which edging up by one other $0.1 million in 2023.

Attributable to their standing as small companies and intensive use of subcontractors, many builders carry comparatively few workers on their payrolls. In NAHB’s 2023 census, builder members reported a median of six workers, together with workers in each building and non-construction jobs.

Whether or not primarily based on the median of six workers, the median of six properties began, or the median annual income of $3.4 million, it’s protected to conclude that almost all of NAHB’s builder members qualify as small companies.

For extra element on the 2023 NAHB Builder Member Census, together with a profile for every of the seven main classes of builder, please see the July 2024 Particular Research.