The majority of NAHB builder members are small businesses, according to the annual census of its members NAHB has been conducting since 2008. The most recent installment of the census was conducted at the end of 2023 and covered business activity through 2023.
The census shows that, on average, NAHB builders started 59.2 homes in 2023 (37.3 single-family and 21.9 multifamily). However, the median number of homes started was only six. Because the data include a small percentage of very large builders, the average number of starts is much higher than the median. For that reason, the median may better represent the experience of the typical NAHB builder.
Another, conventional way to evaluate the size of a business is by the annual revenue it generates. In the 2023 NAHB census, 14% of builders reported a dollar volume of less 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 more. Only 1% reported no business activity at all in 2023. The median edged up to $3.4 million (from $3.3 million in 2021 and 2022). For comparison, the Small Business Administration’s size standards classify residential builders and remodelers as small if they have average annual receipts of $45.0 million or less ($34.0 million or less for land developers).
Historically, NAHB initiated the current version of its member census during the industry-wide downturn of 2008, when the median annual revenue of builder members was only around $1.0 million. Median annual revenue began rising in 2013, as the industry slowly recovered, plateauing at $2.6 to $2.7 million from 2017 through 2020, before jumping to $3.3 million in 2021 and 2022 and then edging up by another $0.1 million in 2023.
Due to their status as small businesses and extensive use of subcontractors, many builders carry relatively few employees on their payrolls. In NAHB’s 2023 census, builder members reported a median of six employees, including employees in both construction and non-construction jobs.
Whether based on the median of six employees, the median of six homes started, or the median annual revenue of $3.4 million, it is safe to conclude that the majority of NAHB’s builder members qualify as small businesses.
For more detail on the 2023 NAHB Builder Member Census, including a profile for each of the seven major categories of builder, please see the July 2024 Special Study.
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